Heaven Can't Wait part 23 of the series
by Justright
Summary: Love can bring the best and the worst out of people, and Phoebe's baby is on the way :)(CHAPTER 10 IS UP)
1. Default Chapter

Heaven can't wait

Disclaimer: The characters from Charmed belong to the Spelling productions, and I am in no way affiliated with the show or its owners.

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Chapter 1

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Heaven can't wait

He was tall and dark-haired. His intense stare was directed only at the woman coming out of an apartment building across the street. He knew what she was, he knew that it was over for him. They had warned him off. It had been his last chance, they told him. Nevertheless, he couldn't help still wanting her as much as before… She just looked around but didn't notice him, as he was hiding in a corner, careful to stay out of sight. When she was satisfied that no one looked her way, she simply blinked out. By letting her go; by not intervening, he had already taken the first step toward the dark side. Not even the pain of his charge had moved him enough for him to act. He had felt her agony throughout his being, but the remorse he felt wasn't enough to move him into action against HER. He wanted to follow the woman he loved, and he knew only of one way to do this. He gave one last sad look to the building, where his charge had already taken her last breath, and the change begun in him, irremediably…

Cole was soundly asleep, but woke up immediately at the light touch of her fingers on his shoulder. He turned to her, alerted. For the last few days, they had been ready for the big moment. They were expecting the baby to arrive any time now. He looked at her with curiosity, a little anxious as well. He felt the pressure of this waiting as much as she did. However, she just shook her head without a word and he knew before she said anything that it was a false alarm.

"Is there something wrong," he still asked.

Phoebe:

"No, just nervous I guess. I couldn't sleep…"

Cole:

"The baby?"

Phoebe:

"No, I think it's just…" She hesitated, as if afraid of telling him.

Cole:

"What?" He asked again, lifting her chin, so that she would look at him directly.

Phoebe:

"It's just, you know moving here, and my sisters not being there…"

Cole grimaced a little, as she feared.

"Do you regret," he questioned, almost afraid of her answer.

Phoebe:

"NO!" She exclaimed too loud. "I had just got used to have my sisters close by at all time… You know what I mean?"

Cole sighed:

"I suppose."

Phoebe:

"I know that you are disappointed…"

Cole:

"No, it's not that. I just cannot feel the way that you do about this. I have to admit that living with your whole family was rather difficult. But if you think…"

Phoebe interrupted him by putting her fingers lightly on his lips:

"No, I do want to be here with you, I just need some time to adjust. You know that my sisters and I have been living together for four years. It will take me some time to get used to not be with them."

Cole took her hand, holding it against his chest.

"Are you sure?"

Phoebe smiled:

"Yes I am, my family is here, with you…"

She snuggled to him and he held her tight in his strong arms, which was all she had needed, she knew this now.

They had only been living in the new house for a few days, and she was still getting used to be separated, albeit very little, from her sisters. However, knowing that he was with her, made it all trivial at the moment. A feeling of peace washed over her and she finally found sleep in his arms, as he held her.

Leo woke up with a start; the Elders were calling again… He looked in Piper's direction but she was still sleeping. He wondered if he should wake her up, but decided that she would understand. It had happened often, and even though, she was not very happy about it, she had accepted his rather unpredictable schedule. He kissed her forehead tenderly and she moaned a little. Then he simply orbed out. Piper woke up to see the last of the orbs vanishing and she sighed heavily. 

"Again," she said aloud, with an obvious irritation in her voice. However, she quickly chastised herself, knowing that he was doing this for the greater good, and that she had no right to complain. He was the sweetest of men. She knew how lucky she was that they had found each other. She never wanted to do anything that would endanger their marriage. She caressed her stomach, lovingly trying to touch the product of their love. At that moment, all frustration was forgotten. They truly were a family now, and that was all she really needed to be sure of. She lied back down and rested her head on his pillow, still warm from his presence. A little smile floated on her lips as she fell back to sleep; she was confidant that he would be back soon, as he always was…

That morning, the house was still quiet when Prue woke up in Paul's arms. He had been gone for a few weeks and surprised her the night before. She smiled tenderly at him, as he was waking up also. He had missed her so much, but now, it was all behind him. It felt so right to be here, with her. 

Prue:

"Good morning!" She told him in a sweet voice. She bent toward him and kissed him lightly, but before she could pull back, he hugged her tightly and their kiss rapidly became passionate.

However, he had to go early that morning and he reluctantly left her embrace, still smiling.

"Can't stay," he just said. She showed her disappointment.

Moreover, rather than letting him go, she caught him by the shoulders, holding him down playfully.

Paul, half serious:

"Come on, I got to work…"

Prue:

"I'm sure that it can wait a little longer."

Paul hesitated…

She saw that he was still undecided and smiled disarmingly. He knew then that she had won… 

Piper woke up to find her husband still absent. She wasn't too worried though, as he often had to go for long periods of time. It still bugged her how little she knew of his work, but she had resigned herself. He insisted often enough that this was the one rule he could never break. She sighed and headed for the shower…

Leo had had a long talk with the Elders, who were more than a little worried by the new development in the Jeremy problem. Ever since they had given him a second chance, he had seemed to return to his old self. But deep down, they had always known that he had never completely forgotten about the fallen witch. Still, he was a caring whitelighter, and they had believed that he would never turn his back on them again. They had been wrong…

Leo and Cole's father were delegated to investigate what had transpired at the witch's apartment. In there, they found a sad spectacle. Jennifer, the witch Jeremy had been charged to guide and protect, was lying in a pool of her own blood. They knew that she had been stabbed, and it didn't take much imagination on their part to conclude that an evil agent was responsible for her death. There was nothing that they could do for her anymore, but it still left the unanswered question about Jeremy. Where was he while this was taking place? He had not reported back about it and no one had heard from him since. Repeated attempts by the Elders to summon him had failed. Coleridge and Leo assumed that the Elders' worst fear had come true.

Coleridge still said with a hint of hope:

"Maybe he got hurt? We should not just jump to conclusions about this."

Leo:

"I wish that it were true. But we both know that he never forgot her…"

Coleridge frowned sadly at the thought.

Leo:

"At least, he won't cause a rift… The Elders were wise to give him only limited access and powers…"

Coleridge:

"Do you think that it might have been the reason why?"

Leo:

"No, I think that his love for her never died… You know as well as I do that deep feelings like these cannot be erased…"

Coleridge thought of his son at this moment:

"But usually, love is a good thing…"

Leo:

"It can also drive a person mad…"

They both stood silent a moment longer, looking sadly upon the inert body of the witch, then they orbed out. The Elders would want to know what they had found out…

Phoebe was awakened by a cramp in her arms. The tingling sensation was unpleasant but no more than most of her malaise lately. She repositioned herself, loath to get up just yet. She listened to his slow breathing, just happy to be in his arms, but nature called, and she sighed, exasperated. She just thought, "Oh when are you going to show up little one. I'm ready for you…"

She tried to pull away from him without waking him up but to no avail. As soon as she started moving, he awoke with a start. 

"Are you ok?"

Phoebe uttered a little laugh:

"Aren't you tired of asking me that?"

Cole smiled:

"I'm this close to a nervous breakdown," he joked.

Phoebe, as she got up:

"Well, better not to tell anyone that we may have found your Achilles' heel."

Cole:

"Not much of a secret there," he answered lightly, "everyone knows that you are that…"

Phoebe:

"And?"

Cole:

"I wouldn't have it any other way…"

She turned toward the washroom with a little smile lingering on her lips…

Jeremy had indeed been put to the test, and failed miserably… He knew that what he was doing was wrong, but somehow, that couldn't keep him away… He had used the last of his whitelighter's powers to get into this place. It was a forbidding cave, and it gave him a chill to think that he was voluntarily entering the underworld, but he would have walked through fire to be with her. Anne, the love of his life and his afterlife… The more he had tried to forget about her, the more it became obvious to him that it was impossible. So after a while, he started thinking of how he could possibly be with her, and the only solution was this. There was no one in sight and he cautiously started looking for her, hopeful that he would find her before they found him…

Leo and Coleridge were now facing the Elders, a group of 3 people with indefinite features under the white hoods. They glowed with a bright light. However, at this point, they were very upset with Leo…

The middle one:

"How could you even think of doing something like this?"

Leo:

"He is a good man, only misguided…"

The same Elder:

"You cannot seriously want to go down there and bring him back, now can you?"

Leo:

"I really think that he is worth the risk, as are all of our friends…"

Leo had said this with a hint of reproach that didn't escape another of the Elders:

"Are you trying to tell us that we are unfair?" He asked severely.

Leo:

"I do not want you to believe that I mistrust your judgement… I simply want you to give me a chance to save him. As I am sure that he would if the situation were reverse."

The middle one:

"He chose this path on his own… I do not think that you can do anything more."

Leo:

"I disagree."

The last one:

"Leo, we forbid you from doing this."

Leo turned toward him, angry:

"I won't let him destroy himself…"

The middle one:

"You won't have a choice, we have been very tolerant of your excesses until now, but this is non-negotiable."

Leo understood that no amount of arguing would change their mind, and decided to keep quiet.

Instead, he bowed lightly to them and started out of the chamber, followed by a puzzled Coleridge:

"You're giving up already?"

Leo stayed quiet until they were well away from the Elders' chamber, then he turned to his companion with a resolute expression:

"I'm not going to give up on Jeremy."

Coleridge:

"But the Elders?"

Leo:

"It wouldn't be the first time that they are wrong about something… And in this case, I think that they are…"

Coleridge, making himself the devil's advocate:

"But what if they are right? Don't you think that is a big risk for someone who has chosen the wrong path of his own will?"

Leo:

"I would have thought that you, of all people, would understand…"

Coleridge:

"Don't get me wrong, I do. However, I also think that I should be the one going, if one of us has to go…"

Leo:

"No, Jeremy was my friend and my responsibility. I am the one who convinced the Elders to give him a second chance. I have to try and save him, even from himself. Besides, if they found you down there, it would be worse… They would use you against Cole and Phoebe. Me, they do not know about…"

Coleridge:

"What about your wife and your baby on the way?"

Leo:

"It's only a small risk. I will be back, don't worry."

Cole's father sighed but didn't protest.

"At least, let me wait for you. Then if you don't return, I will go for help…"

Leo:

"From who? The Elders will not help me after I defied them…"

Coleridge:

"I have an idea, but I hope that it won't be necessary…"

Leo looked at Coleridge askance, but this one didn't explain himself any further, and Leo was too worried about his friend to try and figure out what he had meant."

The two orbed down without saying another word. They both knew where they were going…

Phoebe and Cole are preparing to go out but Phoebe hesitated:

"You know that we do not have to go…"

Cole smiles warmly:

"Nonsense, I never meant that I do not enjoy seeing your sisters, just that I prefer not to live with them… Besides, they invited us, they are just as anxious as we are about the baby and they want to keep a close eye on you. I cannot blame them for that."

Phoebe:

"If you're sure," she asks with still a lingering doubt.

Cole:

"Yes," he answered decisively and took her arm, directing her to the door to prove it.

They were almost out of the house when the chime of a whitelighter orbing behind them, stopped them. Phoebe turned toward the newcomer, fully expecting to find Leo and was stunned to see Cole's father instead.

This one smiled warily to his daughter in law:

"Hello, nice to see you again."

Phoebe finally shook herself out of the surprise and went to him with a smile:

"Welcome, I'm so happy that you could visit."

Cole meanwhile was still shocked. He didn't expect to see his father again. They (the Elders) had made it clear that he still was to stay away, but he found himself happy to see him again and decided against questioning his presence, at least for the moment. 

Cole:

"I'm glad that you were allowed to visit…"

Coleridge couldn't help a little pang of guilt at his own white lie, but kept his feelings inside, as he was smiling warmly to his son.

"I came to see you actually, but I also have something for the mother to be…"

Phoebe was again very surprised but also excited. She loved receiving unexpected gifts. Still, she wondered what a whitelighter could be giving her, and remembered the lamp that Leo's friends had given the newlyweds, which had upset Piper so. However, the whitelighter offered something that she really didn't expect.

He pulled out the hand that he had kept behind his back and they could see a wooden box resting in his palm. He offered it to Phoebe, who took it cautiously, aware that it looked really ancient.

Cole couldn't help also being curious about the box, and came closer to get a better look. Phoebe slowly lifted the lid and found a golden rattle engraved with the Turner's name. The object was very well preserved and of exquisite taste, hardly the kind that could be considered a toy, even though, it was its purpose.

Phoebe:

"Oh, that is so beautiful, is it an heirloom?"

Coleridge smiled indulgently:

"Yes actually, it is. One that I kept hidden for all those years, always hoping against hope that it would be passed on…"

He turned to his son:

"It was yours…"

Cole looked from his father to the toy, astonished.

"Really?"

Coleridge:

"Yes, that is why I kept it… Of course, as you know, a whitelighter doesn't need many possessions, if any. But this one was significant for me. I found it after I died and was revived as I am now."

A shadow passed over his expression:

"At the time, I was still hoping to find you there, but…"

Cole could feel his father's regrets as they mirrored his own, but there was little that they could do about this.

Nothing could ever changed what happened.

Coleridge put on a happy face again for them:

"Anyway, I'm just glad that it will be passed on to your own child, which by the way seems to take his time to show up…"

Phoebe:

"Indeed, I think that he is too comfortable where he is, and won't come out. I will have to think up a way to change this…" She said with a little laugh.

"Thank you," she then added, still looking at the present. "I will take good care of this…"

Coleridge:

"I have no doubts. And may I ad that my son couldn't have chosen better. I'm so happy for both of you."

Cole and Phoebe looked at each other and it was obvious that they thought the same about each other…

Coleridge watched them with joy in his heart for a moment, but he couldn't just forget about the real reason that had brought him there…

"Cole, may I speak with you in private for a moment?"

Cole gave him a puzzled look, but acquiesced and turned to Phoebe:

"Do you mind going to your sister's without me, I'll join you there as soon as I can?"

Phoebe looked at both of them, unsure for a moment, but then she decided that Cole's father might just want to talk to him about fatherhood and she smiled in agreement.

Cole kissed her goodbye, promising that he wouldn't be long, then Phoebe was on her way, leaving the two men staring at each other in an awkward silence that stretched for a long moment.

Coleridge finally broke it:

"I wish that I didn't have to ask you what I am about to, but I have no one else to turn to."

Cole:

"What do you mean?"

Coleridge took a deep breath and started:

"Well it concerns your brother in law and one of his friends, who are in a bad situation right now… One that I'm afraid, only you can help them out of…"

Cole frowned, trying to figure out what his father might be talking about:

"What about Leo," he asks, surprising himself with the concern that he felt.

Coleridge:

"Leo did something rash and now, I'm afraid that it has had serious consequences…"

Cole's concern deepened.

The source turned to the new arrivals with a curious stare. 

"Well, well, well," he uttered finally, "what do we have here?"

His comment referred to a man, obviously badly beaten, drawn in by two guards. The man lifted his face toward the resounding voice. Leo tried to look directly at the source with defiance, but the pain he felt made his expression more of a twisted grin than a real challenging one.

The Source:

"Not much to look at are you? Still, you have to be very stupid or very brave to try and come in my realm. Don't you know that your powers are useless here? If I wished it, you could die on the spot…"

Leo replied in a low and scratchy voice that he barely recognized as his own:

"There are some who thinks that dying is a small price to pay to help a friend. Where is Jeremy," he added with a little more strength to his voice.

The Source chuckled:

"You're a feisty one, any other would be broken by now."

Leo, louder:

"Where is Jeremy?"

The Source, changing attitude again:

"Do not be so insolent. Your friend has chosen to come to us, although his idea was not really to stick around. But he has changed his mind since… And so will you…"

Leo's expression that had still been very combative until then, slowly changed, as he considered what the Source might have meant by this and fear, true fear started building inside him…

The Source saw this and smiled cruelly at the whitelighter…

Phoebe was almost at the manor, but she looked back at their new house, curious. Even if she thought that she knew what Cole's father wanted to talk about, it still seemed weird that he wouldn't want her there for this. However, whatever it was, she believed that they didn't have enough time together as it was, and it could be the occasion for both men to clear the air… She was hopeful as well that this visit was a sign that the Elders would allow Coleridge to visit more often from now on. Cole didn't talk about it, but she knew that he wanted to know more about his father. She shrugged her doubts away at this point and moved on toward the manor, the gift in hands.

Piper opened the door as soon as she got close to it, obviously they had been waiting for her and as Cole had thought, they probably were anxious to know if anything had changed.

Piper:

"Hey sis, are you ok?"

Phoebe smiled teasingly:

"If you mean by that, am I having this baby yet? Nope…"

Piper:

"Oh ok, I admit that I can't wait for that, but I still care about your wellbeing."

Phoebe:

"I know. So will you let me in?" She added with a little laugh, when her sister was still blocking the door.

Piper laughed nervously, moving away from the doorway.

Prue came to them as well, obviously with the same question on her lips but a look at Piper told her that the answer was no. However, she noticed the box in Phoebe's hand:

"Hey what's that? It looks ancient, and I know what I'm talking about even if it's been a while…"

Phoebe:

"Well I brought it to show it to you, one, because indeed it is an antic and I knew that it would interest you.

Two, because it's a gift from Cole's father…"

Her sisters were just as surprised as she had been by this.

Prue:

"Where did he find it?" She asked while taking the box from Phoebe and as she opened it, admired the rattle.

Phoebe:

"Apparently, it used to belong to Cole… Before he was taken away from his father…"

Piper:

"Well, that is really interesting. Where is Cole by the way?"

Phoebe:

"He stayed behind to talk to his father, he will be along soon… Where is Leo?"

Piper grimaced:

"As usual, I don't know. The Elders must have called him last night and he didn't come back yet."

Phoebe took her arm and squeezed it sympathetically. She knew how her sister felt when he was away like this.

It reminded her too much of all those times when she had no idea of where Cole was… But that was all in the past.

Now, he was applying himself enthusiastically at the role of father to be. He had insisted not only to prepare the room early but also the backward. Phoebe was convinced that his eagerness came in part from his desire to live his own childhood through his child, as he himself didn't have much of one. When she saw him so happy about the toys and decorating, she smiled indulgently. That always made him squirm but he soon would laugh at himself as well. It didn't keep him from doing it though.

The thought brought a little smile to her lips and Prue questioned:

"What?"

Phoebe:

"Oh nothing, just that I am happy, that's all."

Prue smiled as well:

"That's great sis."

Piper:

"So, should we wait for your husband?"

Phoebe:

"No I'm famished, he will understand," she answered with a little laugh. Hearing her sister calling him her husband had made her heart jump. Even after a month, she still had not gotten used to this. Things had been so wonderful, even though they could not really go on their honeymoon; it had felt like it when they had moved in their new house.

However, she had all intentions to take care of this oversight as soon as the baby was old enough. "After all," she added to herself, "we have all the time in the world from now on…"

"Let's eat," she added eagerly. "It smells great."

They moved on to the dining room.

Cole:

"You're telling me that Leo went back to the underworld to save a friend of his?"

Coleridge:

"Yes that is what I'm saying. And you should understand the reason when I tell you that this friend of ours went down there to find the woman that he loves…"

Cole frowned:

"No matter, if he chose to go there, what did Leo expect to be able to do about it?"

Coleridge:

"He wanted to try one more time to convince him to give up on her, before it is too late…"

Cole:

"Too late?"

Coleridge:

"Leo and I think that he is willing to take the leap to evil, if he can't get her out of there. Moreover, it is unlikely that she would… So, we were both convinced that unless one of us tried to save him, he would become evil to stay with her…"

Cole is now alarmed:

"Didn't Leo say that if a whitelighter turned to evil, it could be catastrophic?"

Coleridge:

"Actually, the Elders were very suspicious of Jeremy and they took action to prevent any unpleasant result in this eventuality. What's more, he probably wasn't so far gone that he went there with his powers intact anyway. He probably cut his wings before entering the underworld or soon after to prevent anything bad from happening because of him."

Cole:

"He can do that?"

Coleridge:

"We all can. Of course, it's a big decision. Not one to be taken lightly. Nevertheless, in some cases, it has been known to happen."

Cole:

"What about Leo?"

Coleridge:

"He went down there a few hours ago, and we had agreed that he would only stay at most, two hours, but he didn't return yet, and I'm sure that something must have happened to him as well."

Cole:

"Then what am I supposed to do about it? You know that I'm not welcome there anymore."

Coleridge:

"But you know ways to go there without being detected, don't you?"

Cole sighed:

"I guess so…"

Coleridge:

"Then will you come with me?"

Cole looked at him in surprise:

"You do not want to go there, do you?"

Coleridge:

"I didn't come here to send you alone into danger."

Cole:

"If I accept, I'll have a better chance to succeed on my own. Besides, I'd never let you risk your life in there. And you must know that you are not safe when entering the underworld…"

Coleridge replied:

"Neither are you…"

Cole, decisively:

"One of us is enough. I will go and bring Leo back… And his friend, if it's possible," he added reluctantly.

"However, I'm not comfortable keeping this from Phoebe. I promised her that I would not keep any more secrets from her."

Coleridge:

"I would agree with you if it were any other circumstance, but in this case, if the Elders were to learn what Leo did, it could make things worse. It's better that they heard of it after the fact… Anything you tell one of the charmed ones might come to their attention."

Cole frowned, the conflict apparent in his expression. He understood his father's point of view, but he also knew that Phoebe would be upset that he hid this from her. And at the moment, she really didn't need anything upsetting. Still, he decided to abide by his father's wishes with the condition that he would go see her first.

"Do you want to come along?"

Coleridge:

"I'd like that, but I think that it is better if I stayed away…"

Cole was already on his way when his father called him back:

"Cole, son, I wanted to tell you that I truly meant it about wanting to find you when I came back. And the gift that I gave you wasn't just a pretext. I really wanted your child to have it…"

Cole turned back to his father and smiled warily without a word before going out of the house…

When he entered the dining room at the manor, he found that the girls had started breakfast without him. But it was just as well as he told Phoebe. He had had to think fast of a good reason for his absence and even though, he felt remorse at lying to her, he tried to do it as convincingly as he knew he could:

"That is good that you started without me, since I won't be able to stay anyway," he said.

Phoebe:

"What?" She asked with some alarm in her voice.

"Where are you going?"

Cole:

"My father wants me to go to a special place with him, and even if it's not the best time, there might not be many occasions to do this any time soon…"

Phoebe:

"But where is that?" She insisted, knowing that Cole was avoiding answering her direct question.

Cole:

"I can't really tell you…" He replied with a grimace, as he was aware that it would make her even more curious. But it couldn't be avoided entirely.

Phoebe:

"I do not like this…"

Cole smiled reassuringly:

"I will be back in a few hours, I promise. In the meantime, I think that you should stay here…"

Phoebe:

"You're going now?"

Cole:

"I have to," he answered going to her and kissing her forehead tenderly. 

Then, before she could question him again, he got out of the room quickly. As soon as he was out of her sight, he shimmered back to his father's side. Without a word, both men magically went on their way.

Back in the dining room, the sisters were still looking in the direction Cole had left in puzzlement.

Piper:

"What just happened?"

Phoebe:

"I wish I knew! What could possibly be so special about wherever they are going that he can't even tell me…"

Prue:

"It does sound suspicious, but I don't think that Cole would do anything that you wouldn't want him to." She said reassuringly, with a little smile to her anxious sister.

Phoebe, still staring at the doorway, answered distractedly:

"I suppose not…"

Cole and his father were now standing in a field, and Cole turned to Coleridge at this moment:

"Ok you'll wait for us here, it should not take too long."

He was about to shimmer when his father put his hand on his arm:

"Be careful, your child needs his father…"

Cole smiled a little, then shimmered without answering.

Coleridge's expression turned somber right then…

Cole shimmered in a dark and isolated chamber. He shivered in spite of himself at the thought of being back there. He had hoped never to have to see this place again, but Leo needed his help and he intended to give it to him. 

Phoebe was resting in the living room while her sisters were taking care of the dishes. She had wanted to help, but Prue and Piper had pushed her out of the kitchen, instead offering that she should rest a while.

Phoebe had to admit that she wasn't as much in shape as she used to be and found herself grateful for the respite. She also couldn't help worrying about Cole. So much so that she almost ignored the pain in her lower back. It had only lasted a few seconds and afterward, she just dismissed it as one more false alarm… Now wasn't the time, she thought stubbornly…

Cole moved around the caves cautiously, avoiding any contact with the inhabitants of the place. After an hour of searching, he finally caught sight of Leo, but was surprised that this one didn't make any effort to dissimulate himself. As a matter of fact, he was standing near a crowded area, even though no one seemed to notice him. Cole came closer to him at an angle that he knew would hide him from the others. Then he called softly to Leo, who, at first, apparently didn't hear him. Cole called again, and this time got a response as Leo turned to look at him directly.

He didn't move toward him though, and that made Cole wonder about him… Meanwhile a shadowy figure was coming behind him silently. Leo could have warned him, but he never even looked in the newcomer's direction, keeping his eyes fixated on Cole, without flinching. Cole finally felt that things were very wrong and was about to turn around, alerted somehow, when the figure came out of the shadow and struck him hard in the back of the head. Jeremy stood there as Cole fell to the floor of the cave, unconscious. Him and Leo looked down at the demon with chilling smiles…

End of chapter one.


	2. Heaven Can't wait (chapter 2)

Disclaimer: The characters from Charmed belong to the Spelling productions, and I am in no way affiliated with the show or its owners

Disclaimer: The characters from Charmed belong to the Spelling productions, and I am in no way affiliated with the show or its owners.

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Heaven Can't Wait

Chapter 2

It had been over 3 hours since he had gone down, and Coleridge's anxiety had reached the limit of tolerance. He was not usually an impatient man, but right then, he was guilt ridden. How could he have risked his son's life? After all this time, when he had just found him again, he was now afraid that he was the cause of his loss, and the thought made him sick.

He was very tempted to go there himself, but he realized in time that it probably wouldn't help since none of them had returned. He tried to understand how they could have all been taken so easily, but for now, what really mattered was to find a way to save them, and that left him only one option…

**At the manor, Phoebe knew by now that her time was near, but she still refused to tell anyone about it. She even pretended to be asleep when her sisters came to look up on her. She wanted Cole to be there when it happened, and she was decided to do anything she could to stop it until then. That was ridiculous, she knew that, but she still was going to try. He had promised her that he would be there no matter what. However after 3 hours, she begun to fear that something might be very wrong. He knew how close she was to term, and would never risk staying away that long voluntarily. At this point, she was angry with his father for taking him away… The pain wasn't all that bad yet, it only came at irregular intervals and she knew from her readings, that a first baby could take a very long time to be born… She breathed slowly through the new wave of pain that hit her. It lasted only a few seconds, nothing to worry about, she told herself. Then she thought of Cole again: "Where are you? I need you!"**

Cole felt a searing pain in the back of his head and it brought back the unpleasant memory of what had happened. He kept his eyes shut a little longer, but a voice that he knew too well, forced him out of it.

"So, you're finally coming back to visit Belthazor."

Cole grimaced and opened his eyes to find himself looking up at the master of the underworld, who was smiling mockingly at him.

The Source lifted his head to look beyond Cole at someone that he couldn't see yet.

"You did good boys… I see that you came around nicely as I told you that you would."

Leo:

"My pleasure," he replied and the tone of his voice gave no illusions to Cole; he was enjoying what he had done. 

Cole turned his head in Leo's direction and saw the contented smile on his face. Another man was standing by his side, and Cole assumed that it must have been the one who knocked him unconscious, as well as the friend that Leo had come to "rescue…"

The Source:

"What do you think of my new recruits, Belthazor? I must say that for their first day on the job, they didn't do too bad…"

His laughter sent a chill down Cole' spine.

"I don't know what you've done to them," he said with defiance, "but you won't be able to turn me…"

The Source looked back at him intensely; his glowing red eyes fixed on Cole's:

"You were always too confident my boy. Trust me, when I'm done with you, you will be back with us and ready to get me rid of the Charmed ones for good. Better yet, you will bring me your child as a bonus…"

Cole screamed:

"NEVER!"

The Source continued, as if he had not heard him:

"You are mine, you always were, you always will be…"

Cole sustained his stare, but inwardly he started to fear the worst…

Phoebe had just felt the last contraction and it had been stronger that time. She bit her lip in frustration and her eyes fell on the box containing Coleridge's gift. Resentment mounted in her once more at the unfairness of it all. Why didn't he keep his promise to stay with her?

However, on some level, she knew that her anger was mostly caused by the labor more than anything else. It didn't make it any easier…

She picked up the box and once more opened it to look at the rattle. Until now, she had not even picked it up. It looked so precious and hardly something that she would consider giving to a child, but now she couldn't resist wanting to give it a closer look if only to distract herself from her present situation…

In the kitchen, Piper and Prue were preparing lunch. Piper was becoming impatient. No matter how many times her husband was going away, it still kept her on edge to have to wait without ever knowing when he was coming back. That is why she turned with a bright smile of relief when she heard the chime that announced Leo's return. Her joy was short lived however, as she recognized Cole's father, and his expression did nothing to alleviate her disappointment.

Prue:

"Huh, Hello?"

Coleridge:

"I know that I'm not the one you were expecting, and his absence is the reason why I'm here…"

Piper's heart skipped a beat:

"What is it?" She asked anxiously.

Coleridge stayed silent a moment, trying to figure out how to tell them of what had happened, but try as he may, he couldn't find a way to make it easier for him or for them.

"I'm afraid that he is in trouble. And so is my son…"

Prue:

"What? What's wrong?" She questioned rapidly.

Coleridge:

"I'm not sure how to tell you this but, well I believe there isn't an easy way. Leo and Cole are apparently stuck in the underworld and it's all my fault," he added guiltily.

The pain was easily readable in his expression and that, more than anything he said, scared the girls.

Piper:

"How could Leo be in the underworld? He has no one to take care of in that place, he has no business down there." She exclaimed angrily.

Coleridge answered calmly in spite of his agitation:

"He had a good reason, but now they all need rescuing."

Prue:

"Am I to understand that you asked your son to go get Leo?"

Coleridge:

"I'm afraid so, yes… And I realize now that it was a mistake."

In their present state of mind, Phoebe' scream had them all jump.

Prue was the first one to run toward the living room, soon followed by the others.

In the underworld, the scenery had changed considerably. Cole, Leo and Jeremy were all standing in front of the Source. They all seemed to be awaiting his orders.

The Source looked at them in turn with a satisfied expression.

"I told you that none of you could resist my spell."

Cole:

"I should say thank you, as a matter of fact. Never felt better…"

He had said it with a smile, utterly unconcerned about what had brought him to this point, apparently.

The Source addressed his next comment directly at him:

"Well Belthazor, I think that I will leave to you the task of training the new recruits, since you seem to be back to your old self, at last."

Cole:

"I'll be glad to take care of this. What did you have in mind?"

The Source:

"I believe that you can find a suitable target for their initiation?"

Cole' smile widened:

"I really think that I can manage."

The Source lifted his hand in sign of dismissal:

"Then be on your way, they need to be ready for the battle that is soon to come."

Cole just bowed in acquiescence and shimmered, followed by the two new darklighters. The three of them rematerialized in the field, where Cole had left his father earlier, but of him he found no trace. He showed some sign of irritation at this.

"Hum, as usual, not one to be trusted to stick around…"

Then he turned to the other two:

"No matter, any target will do for a first try, now will it?"

Leo:

"Just make it soon…"

Phoebe had barely touched the rattle, when the vision started:

'There were three men standing in an alley, and she immediately recognized Cole and Leo. Another man was with them, one that she had never seen before. Cole suddenly shimmered in front of them, his back to them and seemingly talking to a homeless person crouching in the corner. In her mind's eye, she saw the unknown man throw a knife in his direction and it entered his back at chest level. In an instant, he burst into flames, his body disintegrated.'

It was too much for her and she started screaming crazily. She was still crying and screaming when her sisters came to her side. Prue quickly wrapped her arm around her, trying to calm her down. It took a long moment before Phoebe could say a word. 

Prue:

"Phoebe, what is it? Is it the baby? Come on, you're scaring me!"

Phoebe finally managed to look up at both her sisters and only then did she notice Coleridge there. The anger that she had felt earlier, flared again:

"You! What have you done? Where is Cole?"

Her tone of voice was so harsh, that Cole's father felt like she had hit him. Nevertheless, she couldn't be angrier with him than he was. 

All he could say was:

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…"

Phoebe still didn't know what he really was sorry about, but she was convinced that he was at least in part responsible for what she had seen in her vision, and forgiveness was the furthest thing from her mind at the moment. The thought of it brought back the pain that she had felt and she finally turned to Prue:

"I had a vision," she begun in a strangled voice, "Leo and another man…"

She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence just yet, since what she was about to say seemed so implausible, but Prue insisted:

"Come on, tell us."

Phoebe took a deep breath, then continued:

"They were killing him, they were killing him…"

She had to stop as another contraction swept over her. Her sisters didn't realized what it was though, as they thought that she stopped because of the emotion. After a few seconds, she managed to continue:

"In my vision, Leo and this other man, they were killing Cole…" Her voice trailed off and she burst into tears again.

They were running down her cheeks freely and she didn't even try to wipe them off. Piper stared at her sister, totally disbelieving:

"Phoebe, you can't be serious, Leo would never hurt anyone, not unless he had to…" She added, the meaning of this, very clear to everyone present.

Phoebe just stared at her sister with barely contained anger…

Prue:

"That's not possible." She added in a small voice, unable to comprehend any of this…

However, when she looked back toward Coleridge, his expression left no doubts that he did.

She then stood up and planted herself firmly in front of him, demanding an answer:

"Talk!"

Coleridge felt somewhat insulted by her insolence, but he knew how much they hurt, so he chose to ignore her disrespect:

"I'm afraid that the Source may have found a spell or potion that could turn even the best of us to evil. The good news is that I'm convinced Leo didn't commit any true evil yet…"

Prue:

"And how can you be so sure, since you seem to assume that he is evil…"

Coleridge:

"I cannot be certain of course, but it is possible that they all were. Maybe what you saw," he said turning to Phoebe, "was more of a power struggle between them."

Then he continued for Phoebe:

"Do you know where and when this will take place?"

Phoebe bit her lip in despair, for she couldn't be sure of when. For all she knew, it had already happened and this thought was like a knife twisting inside her.

"I don't know when," she answered in a broken voice, "but I'm sure that I can find where, we have to go now, before it is too late…"

Prue:

"Wait, you haven't answered my question yet," she asked Coleridge again. "How can you be so sure that Leo didn't commit any evil."

Coleridge:

"Because if he had, hell would have broken loose already… If he commits one act of true evil, the skies will part and the demons will gain access to the heavens… We have to hurry indeed, but stopping him now will not be enough, we need something to reverse the spell."

Piper found her voice, now that they were at least talking about saving them, not killing them:

"Phoebe, remember the potion that you made for Cole, could I prepare it?"

This had happened so long ago that she had to strain to remember what she was talking about, besides, she could feel the next contraction coming and she didn't want them to find out that she was in labor, not yet at least. They would never let her come if they knew.

"I think that I put the recipe in the BoS, next to the Belthazor page…"

Piper didn't wait for more and ran upstairs.

Prue:

"What if it's not enough?"

Coleridge:

"Maybe you could ask your friend the wizard for help? If anyone can reverse that spell, it's him…"

Phoebe told Prue where she was convinced that her premonition would take place, and Prue ran to call Paul."

Coleridge and Phoebe were left alone but she barely acknowledged his presence, because of how angry she was of course, but also because she was trying to control the pain.

However, she soon realized that she might have fooled her sisters but not him…

"How long have you been in labor?" He asked almost matter of fact like.

Phoebe was even more upset at him for finding her out, but all she could do was to ask him not to tell her sisters just yet.

Coleridge again:

"Don't worry, if you think that it isn't time yet, I'll keep it to myself. However, you should not risk your infant's life. Cole wouldn't want that…"

Phoebe:

"How would you know what he'd want? You barely know him at all," she spat. She regretted it immediately, seeing how much what she said hurt him, but she couldn't bring herself to apologize, not now.

In a slightly calmer tone of voice, she continued:

"I won't put the baby at risk, but I have to be there. I have to be sure that Cole is safe…"

Coleridge simply said:

"I know."

The three men materialized in a remote alley. Leo turned toward Cole, angry:

"I thought that we were supposed to find a target and get it over with… I had never figured you for a procrastinator. I thought that they said you were the most vile of demons…"

Cole just gave him an icy stare. Leo, even in his present evil state, found it hard to keep staring back.

"I will have you know that there is more to it than just killing… What matters most is to not be found out. If that ever happened, your life would not be worth much anymore, that is of course, if one considers it of any value now."

Leo sneered at him but didn't reply. 

Jeremy on the other hand, seemed to have had enough.

"No matter what you say, you better find it soon or I'll start thinking that you are stalling on purpose…"

Cole turned his icy look toward him:

"Think what you want, but consider this, I have killed many in my life, on either side of this little war, and one more would not be a problem at all for me. Besides, do you really think that the Source would believe you over me?"

Jeremy reacted to the last statement by taking a reluctant step back. Then Cole went ahead and scouted the place, apparently looking for what they wanted. In the end though, he just turned to them and signaled that they had to go elsewhere. The two darklighters looked at each other, unhappy, but followed nevertheless.

Piper had worked, as fast as she could and finally the potion was ready. Prue had not been able to reach Paul as of yet. He seemed to be out of range. Even as they ran out the door, she continued trying to call him…

Coleridge wanted to orb ahead, but the girls told him that he could do nothing useful besides getting himself hurt. He had to agree with this reluctantly. 

For Phoebe, it was now becoming increasingly difficult to hide her labor from her sisters but Coleridge had helped somewhat, by alleviating the pain. He couldn't take it all away, as he said, it was the natural process, but he could make it more tolerable. For this she was grateful.

In the car, he sat beside her and helped her through the painful trip, but the pain seemed nothing compared to her fear of being too late…

The three men finally arrived in the alley that Phoebe had seen in her vision. Cole spotted the homeless man immediately, but seemed not to pay attention to him. Jeremy moved closer and angrily told him:

"What about him? It seems like a perfect choice. No one is around…"

Cole looked calmly in his direction:

"Why don't we make sure of that first," he answered with contempt.

Jeremy:

"I have had enough of this, I'm ready to kill him and you won't stop me."

Cole lifted his hand as if to hit him, but Jeremy backed away and materialized a knife in his right hand. Cole seeing that he was going to make his move, shimmered in front of the homeless and told him in a commanding tone of voice:

"Run, run now if you want to live…" 

The man looked up at him, uncomprehending, so Cole repeated impatiently:

"Run, go now!"

He had just about time to hear the screeching noise of the car coming to an abrupt stop before he felt the knife entering his back. It wasn't so much the pain as the surprise that entered his mind in that instant. He could feel his heart bursting, and all he could think of was what he would miss. Phoebe and the baby… In the last moment, he thought he heard her scream his name, but he didn't even get to look back as everything went dark. He didn't feel the flames consuming his body…

All throughout these events, no one noticed a strange being of light standing back, whom had been observing what had transpired. He had stayed immobile through the attack, but when the knife hit Cole, the being had started moving in his direction, then vanished.

Phoebe tried to run to Cole, screaming hysterically now. She couldn't believe that he was dead. But Coleridge held on to her. Even through his grief, he couldn't risk letting her get hurt by one of the other two, for many reasons… Thankfully, it had been Jeremy who had thrown the knife making this tragedy a personal one, not the catastrophe it could have been if Leo had done it. At least for now. Piper didn't hesitate and froze both of them on the spot but tears ran down her cheeks as well. All of them were under the shock of what had just happened. They had been too late and now there was nothing that they could do to repair this…

While Piper and Prue went closer to the two frozen darklighters, Phoebe finally stopped fighting Coleridge, and he realized that she had fallen unconscious in his arms. In a way, he thought that it was a blessing for her. The pain was so great in him, and he could only imagine what she must have felt.

Piper threw the potion at them, hoping that it would be enough as Paul was still unreachable. Then, she held her sister's hand tight, hoping that this, at least, would work as they had planned, and she unfroze them.

Unfortunately, it was immediately apparent to them that they had failed. Leo looked at Piper with scorn, then taking his companion's arm, he vanished along with him.

Piper fell into her sister's arms, crying uncontrollably. "How could everything have gone so wrong, she thought. Just this morning everything was so wonderful and now, it had all gone to hell…"

Prue's thoughts mirrored her sister's, but she couldn't let herself lose control just yet. The grief would have to come later; just now they still had the world to save. While holding on to her crying sister, she again tried to reach Paul and this time, he answered. She proceeded to tell him what had transpired with a strained voice. Then she insisted that he came at once, as they still had to stop Leo before he did something irreversible. She hung up and Paul appeared beside them almost immediately. He took the scene at once, trying to stay calm for them, as he saw that they were all almost hysterical at this point. Prue was still putting a good front but he knew her by now, and understood that she grieved as much as them even though it didn't look that way.

Now they were turning back toward Phoebe and Coleridge, but Prue became horrified when she noticed something that the others had not until now. Coleridge had let Phoebe lie down on the ground, keeping her head in his lap, but he had not seen what Prue saw. A pool of blood was forming underneath her.

She ran toward them, now totally overwhelmed. Her expression alerted Coleridge who finally noticed what was happening as well.

"Oh no!" He just exclaimed.

Prue was now screaming at him:

"I won't lose her too, bring her to the hospital right now!"

The grief stricken father bowed his head in agreement and immediately orbed Phoebe out of the alley without another word.

Prue had to take a few deep breaths, as all of this was becoming too much to bear. Only the need to be strong for her sisters kept her going. Paul squeezed her arm in sympathy and she took courage in that gesture. Then she turned to Piper, trying to shake her into action. 

"Come on Piper, if we want to save him, we have to find him first. Paul, do you think that you can reverse the spell?"

Paul:

"I hope so, that is all I can tell you."

Prue grimaced but she couldn't reproach this to him as they themselves had failed.

She continued:

"How are we going to find them?"

Paul:

"Let me try, I think that I can feel where they went if you give me a moment…"

She nodded in agreement and Paul moved to the spot the darklighters had just vacated.

The Source had witnessed what had happened with growing anger. His demon's death had made him growl so loud that the guards had taken a step back in fear. For an instant, he considered calling the darklighters back to him and to take his revenge on the spot. However, he decided that the prize he was expecting from them was worth waiting a little to have his pound of flesh. He still promised himself that they would not survive this.

When he could think more clearly, something else started to bother him… Where was Belthazor's soul? He could not believe for an instant that the Elders would have taken a demon's soul in their realm, even if it had been obvious that he had failed in turning him back…

Jeremy and Leo decided to stay put for a while, shook by the latest events. Leo was very angry with Jeremy.

"How could you? The Source will destroy us for sure now…"

Jeremy:

"Not if we give him what he wants…"

Leo:

"I don't know," he then hesitated, "it looked to me like Belthazor meant a lot more to him than we even thought."

Jeremy:

"Don't be stupid, he was just a demon like any other. The Source will collect his soul and move on with his plans. If we help him, he will reward us."

Leo tried very hard to convince himself that it was the case. In his evil state, self-preservation was his main concern. The next one being to get to kill, as he was positively hitching to do it. Not for a moment, did he wonder how this could be…

The Elders had finally wised up to what was happening and were preparing to summon Coleridge, as he would have to answer for his actions. However, something interrupted them. A voice seemingly coming from everywhere at once, resounded in their chamber:

"I have to intercede for a lost soul that I rescued," the voice began. "This will be my first message, but hopefully not the last. I beg of you to listen to me. I cannot help you with the problem that you are facing now, but if you agree to my request, I can give you a champion that will help defend your world."

The three beings of light looked around the chamber in total bewilderment. Who dared enter their world uninvited, were they thinking. And yet, they knew instinctively that it was not an enemy but a friend addressing them, and they agreed to listen…

Coleridge had discreetly orbed in a corner near the hospital, and then he had run inside carrying his precious burden. The pain of losing his son was now compounded by the fear of losing her and the baby. Nevertheless, rather than putting him down, it galvanized him into action and he entered the hospital in haste, going straight to the emergency room and screaming at the first person that he recognized as a nurse. Close to panic now, he demanded that she indicated him where to bring his daughter in law so that she would be taken care of immediately. The nurse saw the blood soaked clothes and the obvious pregnancy, so she didn't hesitate to direct the whitelighter toward the nearest room. For the next hour, doctors and nurses worked non-stopped to save the mother and her child…

Paul seemed to have trouble getting a fix on the darklighters and he supposed that they were moving around a lot. Probably trying to escape not only them, but possibly also the Source. He was convinced that killing Cole had not been part of the plan. But what was done was, and now what mattered was to salvage what they could of this disaster. He finally managed to feel them and turned rapidly toward the sisters.

He simply said:

"I found them."

Prue:

"Let me come with you." Then turning to Piper, "I will bring him back to you, I promise. For now, I think that you should go to the hospital. There is no point in all of us going there since Paul is the only one who can stop them…"

Piper agreed reluctantly, but she watched them disappear and stood in the same spot for a long time before forcing herself to get to the car and drive away.

A bright flash of light had just become visible for an instant in the same corner where Coleridge had orbed earlier…

Phoebe could hear loud noises surrounding her and the pain was coming back as well, but the nightmare was what really upset her. Over and over, as she was waking up, she could see the love of her life dying in front of her and she kept hoping that it only was a nightmare…

That is when she heard a voice in her head:  
"I promise you, everything will be alright, you must trust this."

The voice was soothing and even though she had no idea where it had come from, she was almost tempted to believe it. However when she opened her eyes, she met Coleridge's and the pain that she saw in them confirmed that it had not been just a nightmare and her own pain returned stronger if possible. The doctors had been preparing to deliver the baby by cesarean if necessary, as Phoebe had remained unconscious throughout the last hour, but now they were hopeful that she could give birth naturally after they had stopped the bleeding.

Her eyes filled with tears again as she was staring back at Cole's father and he squeezed her hand in sympathy. At this moment she knew that they shared the same grief and without a word she understood that it had brought them closer. She even forgave him then, as she knew that he had never meant for Cole to get hurt, far from.

The doctor was asking her if she felt strong enough to be moved to the delivery room.

She turned toward him, uncertain but still acquiesced. The pain in her back was returning, stronger than ever and she was now convinced that the baby was almost there.

Prue and Paul materialized behind the two darklighters just as they were about to strike. An old man was cowering away from them, and Paul used one of his protection spells to prevent his death. It had been very close. Prue tkd the darklighters away from the old man and he opened wide eyes wondering if those newcomers were not just as dangerous as the one they had just sent flying away. He didn't wait to see and started running away, as fast as he could. 

Paul didn't lose any time and started toward the two men, as he feared that they might escape again if he didn't hurry. He used another spell to keep them from vanishing and then came close to Leo, who tried to fight his way out, but Paul held on firmly to his arms and muttered a long spell which seemed to paralyze Leo in place from the moment Paul started the chant. Jeremy tried to intervene as well but Prue tkd him again. As soon as Paul finished the chant, Leo looked at him, ashamed and floored by what he had done… Prue sighed in relief. However, Jeremy wasn't going to be saved. The source again saw what was happening and he broke Paul' spell to recall the wayward lighter into his realm. Jeremy found himself kneeling in front of the Source who was seething with rage. In that last moment, before he was consumed by the Source's power, he remembered why he had come to this place. He had not found her, only pain in here. But right then, he saw her and in her eyes, he thought that he saw sorrow. Then it was all over…

Leo couldn't believe that he had turned evil not even with a spell but what did him in, was when he remembered what Jeremy had done. He almost fell to the ground, just imagining the pain that they have caused.

Prue tried to tell him that he had not been responsible for his action, that it all was the Source's doing but it really wasn't helping much at the moment. 

Prue:

"I know that this is all very difficult but right now we have to think of Phoebe. She is the one who will suffer the most about all this, and right now she needs us, all of us," she added, holding out her hand for him to take.

He hesitated then he took it. The three of them magically went to the hospital as well.

Phoebe was now in too much pain to think of anything else. The contractions were coming faster than she even thought possible, one starting when the last one finished. But at this point, she almost welcomed the pain as it kept her from thinking of her grief. 

The voice was still in her mind, still assuring her that everything would be fine, but she barely heard it. The next wave of pain came and she almost crushed Piper's hand, whom had arrived earlier and insisted to be present. Coleridge had stayed as well, even if he was a little embarrassed by the delivery. In his time, men were not allowed to enter for the birth of their child, and he couldn't help but thinking that it had been a sensible thing back then. Yet, he still stood by her, taking his son's place by her side. He was so concentrated on helping her, holding her shoulders as she was asked to push now, that he almost jumped out of his skin, when someone tapped his shoulder.

He was not going to turn toward the intruder however, but then the voice almost made him let go of Phoebe.

"I'll take over from here…"

Piper had heard this as well and she barely contained a scream when she saw who had spoken.

Coleridge turned around to find his son, very much alive. Cole just took him aside kindly and approached Phoebe. The pain was blinding her and she barely noticed the change in partner until she could open her eyes again. Then she gasped, almost losing consciousness again.

He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and when she couldn't say a word, he whispered:

"I promised you that I'd be here… I always keep my promises."

She managed to smile for a short moment before the pain returned, but she still heard the voice in her mind telling her:

"I told you that everything would be fine, mother…"

These were the last words that she heard from him before the doctor finally announced his birth. 

"It's a boy," he said joyously, and Phoebe fell back in Cole's arm, barely believing in her good fortune but unwilling to question it just right now. She saw tears of joy in his eyes and the pride that he felt at being a father. The nurse brought the baby to them after wrapping him in a blanket and they couldn't believe how small and delicate he was. Phoebe took him in her arms, tears of joy also coming now. Her family was complete, at last.

Cole:

"Thank you."

The others had been asked to wait outside and received the news from a nurse coming out of the delivery room. They were still unaware of the other miracle but expressed their joy that the birth had gone well.

Paul:

"Well it is wonderful, a little boy…"

Prue:

"I'm only happy that it all went well, no matter what the gender is…"

Leo couldn't bring himself to participate in the joy as his remorse was eating at him. 

Inside, the doctor asked the family to leave the room as they had to finish up with a few details but Phoebe insisted that Cole stayed, as she was afraid that he was only an illusion and didn't want to lose sight of him even for an instant. They abided by this but asked that everyone else leave.

Outside, Piper was in for another nice surprise when she saw her husband back to his old self, albeit much worse for wear. But she soon reassured him that he should not be too hard on himself. 

"I know that it will be hard to believe, I saw him and I still can't believe it but well, Cole is alive…"

Prue:

"What!"

Coleridge:

"It's true, he is with Phoebe right now…"

Prue:

"But that's impossible, we all saw him die…"

Leo almost smiled:

"You mean, we didn't kill him?"

Piper:

"I was there, if he didn't die, he gave a big show of it…"

Prue:

"Then how?"

Piper:

"Your guess is as good as mine. I'm confounded…"

Then she continued pensively:

"Unless, it's like mother and they let him come for this day, but he was supposed to be in hell, and I don't think that they cared much about the birth of his child there…"

Prue suddenly noticed that Paul was keeping quiet and smiled happily looking back at the delivery room. He was the only one who didn't seem overly surprised.

"Paul?"

He looked back at her, still smiling:

"It happened," he simply said, "as it was foreseen."

Inside the room, Phoebe was still looking incredulously from the baby now in the bassinet by her bed to her husband back from the dead.

She finally could bring herself to ask him how, when she was sure that no one else could hear:

"How are you here? What happened?"

Cole:

"To be honest, I haven't the faintest idea. One moment, I was dying and the next, I was standing in front of the hospital…"

Phoebe:

"Just like that?"

Cole:

"I really don't know what else to tell you. Except that I feel different somehow. I can't tell you what it is, but it's different."

Phoebe felt a cramp in her stomach right then and she grimaced in pain. He put his hand on hers, and his glowed for a short instant but she felt better immediately and she looked at him, astonished.

"Wow," she mouthed, "what was that?"

He really couldn't tell as he was just as surprised as she was. He never had the power to heal until then…

"Phoebe, I think that I should talk to Leo, since he is back…"

Phoebe pulled him to her holding his face; she needed to feel him. Nevertheless, she agreed after a moment that he needed to clarify the situation and after kissing him, she let him go.

Prue and Leo, still incredulous, opened wide eyes when he came out of the room, as it was now obvious that it was all too true.

"Well, I'll have seen everything… How does it feel to be back from the dead?"

Cole smiled slyly:

"Pretty good actually, although I didn't really have a chance to ponder this much…"

Then he turned to Leo with a frown:

"Do you think that your bosses might have gone a little overboard and made me a whitelighter?"

Leo's mouth dropped:

"What makes you think that," he exclaimed at last.

Cole:

"Well, I never was able to heal anyone before…"  
Leo:

"And you did?"

Cole:

"Yes, and it also felt pretty good, although I never envisioned myself as an angel…"

He said this with a little nervous laugh. It sounded so incongruous to him.

Paul:

"I don't think that you're that kind of angel…"

Cole turned to him, interested:

"What do you mean?"

Paul:

"Your son gave me a message for you. He told me that you had been chosen as a warrior for good. That is a great honor, not too many of your kind around anymore. An Archangel…"

Cole:

"Oh, that might explain that I don't feel all that different after all."

Paul:

"Yes it would…"

Prue:

"What does that mean?"

Paul:

"It just means that from now on, you won't ever see Belthazor again, unless," he added for Cole, " you do something to lose this new status…"

Cole:

"I won't."

Paul:

"I sure hope so, because your ascension paves the way for ours…"

Cole just smiled at this and returned to Phoebe as promised. He looked at his son with renewed astonishment. He was so tiny and yet so powerful. But it wasn't what mattered at the moment. All that did was resumed in one phrase:

"Everything is going to be just fine from now on."

Phoebe smiled at this, and they turned lovingly to their son, Jason…

End of Chapter 2. 


	3. Heaven Can't Wait (Chapter 3)

Heaven Can't Wait **__**

Heaven Can't Wait

Chapter 3

Jason-Benjamin Halliwell-Turner, hum, it has a nice ring to it, I guess."

Prue was looking at the baby, now cradled in her arms. The infant was asleep, and so beautiful. She smiled tenderly at the little bundle of joy, amazed at how powerful he already was, even though he still was so small and apparently, so vulnerable. After they got out of the hospital, she and Paul had insisted on staying at the Turner's house to help in any way they could for the first few days. Phoebe was still weak from her ordeal and the doctors had wanted to keep her longer, but she insisted on leaving as soon as possible. Cole had not approved of her impatience, given the amount of blood she had lost prior to the delivery, but as usual, there was no arguing with her…

She had looked up and smiled slyly, then said:

"Besides, now if something happens to me, you can heal me…"

Cole had replied with fake severity:

"And what do you make of the rule about personal gain?"

Phoebe, undeterred:

"Hey! I just gave birth to a miracle child, that should entitle me to a little special treatment…"

He had not been able to resist smiling at her enthusiasm. He himself was still shocked by the latest events, not quiet sure of how he should react to the change in him. As a matter of fact, he barely understood it at all. Until now, nothing really different had happened beside the one time where he had healed her, quiet by accident, and the excitement of their new baby had kept him from questioning any further what he truly was. 

Just then, he was looking at Prue with the baby and was only grateful to have the chance to see him grow up. He was even more grateful at the thought that now, he truly would be with the woman he loved forever… For the moment, they had convinced her to take a nap, even though it had taken a lot of coaxing. 

Cole:

"Well Prue, you look good with a baby… Does it give you any ideas?"

Paul grimaced in the chair next to him:

"Oh ok, am I being trapped here?" He asked semi-serious.

Prue laughed softly, careful not to disturb the infant, but she still went on to smile teasingly at her boyfriend…

Prue:

"You are not tempted at all?"

Cole was observing him with a twinkle in the eyes and Paul felt that they were somewhat testing him…

"Huh, well… Not that I have anything against children per say…"

He practically babbled this to the utter amusement of the other two. Then Prue decided to put him out of his misery.

"Ok, come on, we were just joking weren't we?" 

Cole:

"I still say that it's never too soon to think about it… After all, Paul is not getting any younger…"

Paul:

"If you child wasn't in the room…"

Cole:

"Didn't I tell you that he was a miracle child?" He replied with a smile, his gaze returning to the baby. "Well speaking of, I think that that it is time for him to go back to bed…"

Prue:

"Already," she asked rhetorically, obviously disappointed.

Cole came to her and picked up the baby. He was still a little awkward at it, but he was trying very hard to be a modern father. Then again, he had to admit that he had never thought he could love someone as much as he did Phoebe, and yet he did. He knew, from the moment he had seen him, that he would die to protect him…

Jason almost woke up, disturbed by the change of position, but he quickly settled down and Cole carried him upstairs.

In San Diego, on a business street:

The perky little brunette was walking fast, an annoyed expression obvious on her face. She was late for work, again! Not that her job was very satisfying, but she needed it. A secretary in a small lawyer's firm, the work was boring her to death. Ever since she was little, she had always imagined herself doing great things. Many glamorous careers had floated in her mind, but in the end, this is all that she could find. She had even studied drama at some point, tempted as she was by acting. However, her short stature and unusual looks were not what the producers had been looking for. She was pretty, very much so, but her looks were not the classic kind. She was full of unspent energy. Every morning, she woke with the sensation that she should have been elsewhere, that some destiny awaited her. Yet, she would put this aside quickly, convinced that it was just her ego talking. 

Arriving at her destination, she hesitated, certain that she was in for another speech about punctuality. Then she sighed heavily and pushed open the doors of the firm, bracing herself… 

There was another reason why Prue had temporarily moved to the Turner's… After the latest events, Piper and Leo needed some alone time. He was still under the shock of losing his friend, and mostly of the terrible things that he came close to do. He was infinitely grateful that Paul and Prue had stopped him in time, but that didn't alleviate his remorse about it. Piper tried very hard to make him feel better, but the last few days had been strained. What bothered him most, in fact, was that the Elders had not called him yet. Not a word from them since he came back. Coleridge had been called back and had not given any news either… The wait was making him antsy. Many times, he had been tempted to go to them and present his defense, but he knew that he should wait for their summon. He had figured by now, that they probably were thinking of what to do with him…

Piper:

"Leo, you have to stop worrying about this," she told him as they were sitting at the dining room table for breakfast. "I'm sure that they will understand that your intentions were honorable and your heart in the right place."

Leo frowned:

"I don't think that they are seeing it like this, Piper… I defied them and in doing so, I almost caused an enormous disaster. I'm not even counting the fact that I almost caused Cole's death…"

Piper, insisting:

"But you haven't. Not only that, thanks to you, they have gained someone very powerful to help them…"

Leo uttered a little derisive laughter:

"I really don't think that this is the way they will take it…"

Piper:

"You still shouldn't torture yourself so much… I'm sure that it will all turn out for the best…"

In spite of the fact that he had been waiting for it, the call from the Elders made him jump. Piper understood without being told that they had, and no matter the assurance to the contrary that she had given him, she couldn't help but being fearful of their judgement. She remembered too well that they had taken him away from her in the past, and couldn't help wondering if they would do it again…

Still, she put on a good face for her husband, smiling encouragingly at him. He didn't need more worries right then, and she knew it.

They looked at each other intensely for a moment, the same concern on their mind, then Piper said:

"Everything is going to be fine, go…"

Leo then just orbed out, and Piper took a deep breath, the fear now plain on her face now that she was sure he couldn't see her anymore…

He put the baby carefully in his cradle, and watched it, holding his breath, as this one wriggled a little and opened his eyes just for an instant before going back to sleep. Then he turned to his wife, still asleep, and a contented smile formed on his lips. He still couldn't believe that he was there, alive and so very happy… After a long moment, he went to her, pushing away a strand of her hair that had fallen on her face. He kissed her forehead lightly, careful not to wake her; then he left the room as quietly as he could. Both of them needed their rest…

The little brunette stood fast in front of the head secretary, who always acted like she was imbued with powers well beyond the frame of her actual workplace. Lizbeth, as she liked to be called, looked down on Paige with a severe expression:

"When are you going to learn that punctuality is a virtue? I cannot keep you here much longer if you do not respect the rules of this firm…"

Paige lowered her eyes, hiding her contempt by pretending contrition. At this point, needy or not, she was almost ready to resign, so annoyed as she was. "What were a few minutes late when she was working so hard for them," she told herself? However, she was only venting inwardly, for she truly needed the job. Her adoptive parents had both died a few years back and she was an only child with very little money ahead of her. They had been as good parents as they could, but a few reversal of fortune had left them practically penniless in the end. All she had inherited from them were debts that she was trying her best to repay at the moment, while living precariously with the rest of her salary. She also needed the money for a search that was close to her heart. Her parents had never told her that she was adopted, and she had been shocked to learn about it shortly after their death. Now she was trying to piece together information about her past, in order to find her true parents. She didn't delusion herself in thinking that they were wonderful people who had had no choice, or even that she was kidnapped at birth, like she heard from some other adopted children that she had met in the course of her research. Nevertheless, she felt strongly that she needed to know where she came from. It was more of a gut feeling than anything else was. After a few years though, she was starting to get discouraged. Practically all the avenues that she had tried had produced no results. The agency refused to give her any information, and the private firms engaging in that sort of research were very expensive and painstaking. Still, she had a few things that had been kept in a trunk at her parent's house to start with: a locket with the picture of a smiling woman, for one. And a few other items, mostly baby stuff, that no one had ever let her see until her parents died. After the firm had made a copy of the picture along with a description of all the items, she had taken to wear the locket at all time, as if somehow, it could bring her closer to find her true family…

Lizbeth just felt silent, and it shook Paige out of her reveries. She looked up again, to see her walking away, apparently convinced that she had made her point. Paige sighed and took her post for another boring day at the office…

In the underworld, the Source was pacing relentlessly, irritated to no end at the turn of events. By now, he had found out what had happened to his former demon' soul… That alone had made him so mad that a few lower demons had not survived his wrath…Now spent, he was thinking furiously. First, he was puzzled by Belthazor's ascension, for he could not understand how this might have been brought about… But much more than this, he was trying to find a way to reverse it. He knew that it would have to be soon, before the new Archangel figured out how to use his new powers. No one actually knew of his true interest in the former demon. Very few even suspected the direct relation that he had with him. The Source had been careful not to tell Belthazor about it; for fear that the already cocky one would become totally unmanageable. 

The Source believed that he still had a small window of opportunity, one that he could use to reverse this state of affair. He had acquired an information that would be invaluable to him. All he had to do was to find a way to use this to his advantage, and force Belthazor to renounce his Archangel status. And as an alternative solution, he figured that maybe killing the charmed ones would at least insure his own safety. If he waited too long though, it would become increasingly difficult, so the plan started forming in his mind… This time, there could be no mistake…

Leo stood uncertain in front of the Elders. They were observing him severely, and all he could do was to await their judgment. He had made his plea to them, insuring that the responsibility of what happened would befall him alone, and in doing so, hopefully protected Coleridge from their wrath. Finally, one of them talked:

"Leo Wyatt, you are demoted of your whitelighter' status as of this moment…"

Even if he expected it, he still felt as if punched in the chest at the confirmation of his fears.

The Elder continued:

"Furthermore, we agree that Coleridge's responsibility in this affair does not warrant a punishment, and that, as you suggested, he should be appointed not only to the charmed ones, but as guide for his son…"

Leo sighed in relief, as this was at least good news. However, there was still another matter to be decided, one that was of great importance to him, and he awaited anxiously the rest of their judgement.

At this point, the Elder's voice seemed to soften somewhat:

"As for your marriage… We are all agreed that the witch had nothing to do with what happened, and that you respected your promise not to let your relationship influence your judgement… So, you will be returned to her."

Leo, who had been positively holding his breath, let it out slowly.

The Elder again:

"This demotion will be a temporary one, at least until we are sure that you have understood the gravity of what you have done."

Leo finally answered:

"I understand." He felt himself being lifted and transported magically. He could already sense that his powers had been stripped. For the second time since he had met the charmed ones, he once again had become mortal… 

Prue busied herself in the modern kitchen, trying her best to cook a decent meal. She had to admit to herself that cooking should have been left to her sister Piper as she pained over the simple lunch that she was preparing. She laughed as she thought that Cole was in for some take-out too, since Phoebe had never been much of a cook either.

Although she had been happy to help in the last few days, now she was hitching to return to work. She needed more stimulation than mere domestic tasks. She was cutting some vegetable when a violent sensation of foreboding almost caused her to cut herself. It took her breath away, and left her shaking for a long moment. There was nothing specific to the feeling, but it scared her…

Cole was just returning from checking up on the baby, he was doing this a lot. Sometimes he wondered if he wasn't going a little overboard. This time, Phoebe had beaten him to the punch, the little one was hungry and she already had been in the process or feeding him when he had entered.

"Slept well?"

She had smiled happily, just looking up at that moment.

"Yes, you were right of course, I needed it. Is lunch ready?"

Cole:

"I'm sure that it will be soon, of course that is, if Prue doesn't blow up the kitchen first," he added with a little laugh.

Phoebe almost giggled, but she didn't want to disturb the baby, it was all so new and she was still afraid to hurt him, he was so small. 

Cole:

"I will go check for it and tell you when it's ready."

Before he left, he came to her and kissed her softly:

"I love you, you know that, don't you?"

She just smiled contentedly, and then watched him leave before returning her gaze toward the infant.

"We are so lucky…"

When he came to the bottom of the stairs, he spotted Paul reading in the living room and figured that he might take a moment to ask him the question that he had not dared until now…

Paul had lifted his head toward him at his approach, putting the book down, and from the look on his face, Cole supposed that he had guessed what was coming.

"Yes," he questioned?

Cole:

"You guessed, I suppose, what I want to talk to you about?"

Paul:

"I was actually wondering when you would ask…"

Cole took a seat before continuing:

"How am I here, and most of all what am I?"

Paul:

"The how is a bit complicated, but for the what, well you did it yourself…"

Cole frowned in puzzlement:

"What do you mean?"

Paul:

"In that last moment, before you _died_, you made a choice, to save a perfect stranger and to protect two people even if they wanted you dead. This changed the nature of your other half. This simple selfless act, was the one, I think, that Jason was waiting for. He then somehow saved you from death and pleaded with the elders to let you return…"

Cole:

"Phoebe said that she saw me burn…"

Phoebe:

"It was only an illusion that he created, he preserved your body at the very instant of your death and brought it somewhere else. If the elders had not agreed, he would have had no choice but to let you go…"

Cole stayed silent for a while, taking it in and still unsure if he truly understood what it all meant. Then he thought of something else:

"Why couldn't he do the same thing for you and the others?"

Paul smiled sadly:

"It's not going to be this easy for us… The blame is much more on us than the demons that followed us, and besides you're half-human, which helped a lot…"

That was another thing that bothered Cole:

"Am I, still?"

Paul:

"Oh yes, nothing can change that… One way or the other, your human half will always be a part of you. If it wasn't, you wouldn't be here but rather up there…"

Cole:

"There is something else that I do not understand. All my life, I knew what I was; I could always feel it. But right now, I barely feel anything besides my human half…"

Paul:

"Very soon, you will find out about the other… But you need to be careful. When you need it, it will come to you. However, there is something that you must remember. It is possible that anger will release it, and if you're not careful, it may also undo the good that has been done…"

Cole:

"What am I supposed to do?"

Paul:

"Simply understand that you must control the anger, not let it control you. It will be the most difficult part of this, and believe me I know what I'm talking about…"

Prue interrupted their talk, announcing that the meal was ready and Cole went to get Phoebe.

He had not noticed the worried expression on her face, but as soon as he was out of hear shot, Paul asked about it:

"What is it?"

Prue:

"What do you mean?"

Paul:

"There is something bothering you, that is obvious," he questioned as they were walking toward the dining room.

She shrugged and kept silent until they were seated, then she thought better of it:

"I don't know what it was, but I felt like a cold wind passing through me earlier… Like a warning…"

Paul frowned:

"Can't you be more specific? Is it something that you felt before?"

Prue:

"No, I can't say that I have. I didn't want to worry Cole or even Phoebe with this, they have had enough lately…"

Paul:

"You can't keep it all to yourself, you know that don't you?"

Prue:

"I know… And there is something else… I called Piper earlier and the Elders have called Leo back…"

Paul:

"Hum…"

Prue:

"I invited her to join us but she preferred to wait until his return."

She added in a lower voice:

"If he returns…"

She turned her head toward the back of the house, hearing a knock on the door.

The Source had summoned his most trusted guard, Lucifer. He was convinced that this one had a chance to succeed, but he still gave him a severe warning:

"Do my bidding, but if you don't succeed, I won't hesitate to vanquish you on the spot. Go and bring me what I asked for…"

Lucifer flinched at the warning, but still bowed in acquiescence and shimmered out.

Phoebe had just finished changing the baby and was preparing to go join the others, when she heard a whooshing sound behind her. It reminded her of Cole' shimmer, but he had not been able to do this since he came back… She turned abruptly around, the baby still cradled in her arms, and couldn't help a scream of fright when she found herself face to face which what she assumed was a demon. This one didn't hesitate one moment, not giving her a chance to escape, he moved toward her rapidly and ceasing her, immediately started shimmering out. On the wall at the top of the bed, word started to write themselves, in blood red lettering. Cole had heard her scream and started running toward the bedroom. He entered to find it empty, but he saw the message right away and screamed with rage and despair…

"NO!"


	4. Heaven Can't Wait (Chapter 4)

Heaven Can't Wait **__**

Heaven Can't Wait

Chapter 4

On her way to lunch, Paige felt a chill. She wondered about it, as it was a warm afternoon, without even a breeze. It lasted only a few seconds but left her shaken… What intrigued her even more was the sensation that, for the briefest of moment, she had been connected to someone else. However, it had been so fleeting that she would have been loath to try and explain it to anyone. She then decided that it must have been her imagination playing tricks on her, and entered the deli without giving it any more thoughts…

Even from outside the door, Piper and Leo heard the scream and entered the house without waiting. Prue and Paul were already on their way toward the stairs. They ran up after getting no answers to their calls and found Cole prostrated, staring at a message that had been engraved in the wall.

"If you want them to live, come to me at once…"

The letters were still simmering, as if written with burning blood…

Prue gasped, as understanding dawned on her. The sensation of foreboding must have been a warning, but she had ignored it and now guilt was eating at her. Paul went straight to Cole and put his hand firmly on his shoulder:

"Cole, remember what I told you…"

Cole could barely hear him, the fear and rage building inside him. He could almost feel the demon wanting to come out, and the temptation was great to let it. As he was now, he had no idea how else he would save them. However, he forced himself to think of what Phoebe would have wanted, then he took a few deep breaths, and finally turned his tormented look toward the wizard:

"What am I supposed to do?"

Prue answered for him as she put her remorse aside to get into action:

"What are _we_ supposed to do, you mean. We are all going to help, they are also our sister and nephew…"

Cole looked her way as if he thought that she was deluded:

"What can you do that I cannot?"

Prue replied with irritation:

"As it is now, you cannot do much anyway…"

Paul:

"Ok, you two, we all have to calm down, there is no point in fighting, it's only going to make things worse…"

Piper and Leo entered the room at this point, and gasped at the same time, seeing the message that was almost impossible to miss…

Paul took the situation in hand, knowing full well that all of them were too shocked to think clearly:

"Everyone needs to calm down… First thing first, no matter what the message says, the Source will wait before doing anything…"

Cole interrupted angrily:

"How the hell can you be so sure about that?"

Paul kept his cool but looked severely in his direction, staring him for a few seconds before answering:

"Because, he didn't do this for nothing… You must know that he wants you back in exchange, and he knows that his best chance to do that is to bargain their lives for your return…"

Prue:

"You really think that he would miss his best chance to get rid of a charmed one in the process?"

Paul:

"That is immaterial to the present situation… He won't do a thing as long as he thinks that he can get Cole back. "

Piper:

"We have to do something…"

Paul:

"And we will… I may have an idea."

In the underworld, the Source received his new prisoners with delight.

"Well, I'll be! At last, I have a charmed one at my mercy, and her baby no less."

Phoebe was standing in front of him with Lucifer still holding her. She was trembling in fear not so much for her as for her child, who was now crying loudly.

Still, she chose defiance, as there was little else that she could do about the situation.  
"You got me… Now what?" She spat.

She kept her chin up, and her eyes steady.

The Source looked her up with a renewed interest, now coming closer.

"I suppose that might explain his interest in you, although you must be a handful…"

Phoebe felt dirty and insulted; she felt as if he had soiled her with his eyes… He then turned back, gesturing to Lucifer, who pushed her toward a cell a little off to the right of the throne, and then closed the heavy iron door behind her. She found herself in total darkness, but even then she resisted giving in to the terror that she felt mounting in her, if only for her baby' sake… 

At the manor, Cole was restless and cast many angry looks toward the others, who were now discussing the matter in the living room to his great displeasure… 

Prue:

"I really think that I should go too. You are going to need all the help that you can get, but I don't think that Piper should…"

Piper:

"And why not? She's my sister too…"

Prue:

"It is not necessary to put all of us in danger, and you also have your own baby to worry about. What's more, now that Leo…"

She didn't finish the sentence, seeing the regrets in Leo's eyes.

Paul:

"I really think that I could do it on my own…"

Cole, unable to contain himself anymore:

"You won't leave me behind, I have to go too…"

Paul:

"I do not think that it is a very good idea, you said yourself that you don't have any control over your powers at the moment. And besides, it is very much possible that the Source could provoke you into returning to your demon state…"

"That won't happened," Cole replied quickly.

Paul came closer, wanting only him to hear:

"I didn't tell anything to them," he said in a low voice, " but I saw your expression earlier, and I know that you came this close already…"

Cole answered in the same tone of voice, albeit more tense:

"I controlled it, I will again…"

Paul:

"We cannot take that risk."

Cole came closer to him, threatening but also somewhat begging:

"If it was Prue down there, could you stay behind?"

Paul looked at him in the eye, and for a long moment the two men stared at each other. Then Paul just nodded and turned back to the others.

"Cole will come along but that's it…"

Prue:

"No way, you have another thing coming if you think that you will leave me behind!"

Paul sighed heavily but finally agreed.

"I'll need for you two to stay out of sight. Hopefully, I won't need your help…"

Prue and Cole accepted this reluctantly, and Paul motioned them to come nearer.

Then, under Piper and Leo's worried stare, they disappeared in a blue mist.

Now in the caves, the three of them were looking around anxiously, worried that their arrival might have been detected, but no one came, and they could move on to the next part of the plan.

Paul silently signaled to them to follow him and they walked cautiously.

Cole realized that Paul seemed to know his way as well as he, himself did in there, which was something he hadn't thought that he would… Another surprising fact about him…

When they came close to the Sources' hall, Paul signaled them to stay out of sight, then he resolutely came in front of the guard as if he belonged there. Cole and Prue stared in disbelief at his action. Yet the guard didn't make any move against him, and without a word, entered the hall, seemingly to announce the wizard's arrival.

The guard soon returned and signaled to him that he was allowed entry. Paul went into the chamber with his head up, with all the appearance of an equal. He faced the Source and looked at him straight in the eye, waiting silently.

The Source:

"Well wizard, what or should I say who do we owe the dubious pleasure of your visit?"

Paul lifted a corner of his mouth into a half smile and after a few seconds:

"You seem to have…Something that doesn't belong here…"

The Source seemingly playing the game:

"And what might that be?"

Paul was surprised at his lack of worry. Although, he couldn't kill him, Paul knew that he could hurt him and possibly do a lot of damage in the underworld, yet the Source seemed oddly unconcerned and that gave Paul pause, as he continued nevertheless:

"You kidnapped someone that I consider a friend… I would greatly appreciate if she and her infant were returned at once."

The Source:

"Just like that?" He asked with a point of sarcasm that again puzzled the Wizard. He had expected resistance, even possibly a fight but not this lack of concern. Then, the demon put his cards on the table, suddenly bending toward Paul with an intense expression.

"First, I have learned a few things since the last time you were here, your tricks won't work on me. What's more, I have also learned a few things about you…"

Paul stared back confidently, but inwardly, he started worrying.

The Source continued:

"You have grown weak yourself, falling for yet another one of those charmed ones." The last part was said with utter contempt.

"Yes," he added when he saw that Paul reacted to this, " I see that we understand each other. You didn't really think that you had come all the way to this chamber without me knowing about it, now did you?"

A chill went down Paul's back but he still kept a steady voice:

"I was kind of hoping for this yes…But no matter, we can still deal…"

The Source started laughing derisively:

"Maybe you should think twice about the terms," he said, then he looked back to the Hall's entrance where a commotion was heard.

A guard positively flew through the entrance, and Paul had no doubt that Prue was responsible for that. However, their resistance lasted only a moment, as two more guards entered dragging her, as she was barely conscious. Obviously they had had the upper hand. Cole was dragged in as well by two more guards and, for the moment at least, he offered little resistance, apparently knowing that it was pointless.

The Source, with a satisfied smile, turned back to the wizard and mockingly uttered:

"I really should thank you for the gift. You brought me back my demon and another bargaining chip…"

Prue interrupted him, astral projecting, and hoping that she could cause enough confusion to allow them escape. She reappeared behind the Source and kicked him hard. However, the Source hardly moved, and instead, turned toward her true self, still in the trance for the projection. He then lifted his hand so quickly that the men had no time to react and threw a fireball in her direction, which hit her fully. Cole and Paul tried to run to her, horrified at what just happened. Paul howled in pain and seeing that he could do nothing to save her, he turned to the Source with rage. Before he could do anything however, the Source anticipating his reaction, had used his other hand to send an electric lasso around his neck. Paul never even had time to protect himself. In a few seconds, he was falling on his knees, as much from the physical pain than from the grief. 

The Source gloated:

"I told you that I had learned things, LOS. You should have stayed away."

Paul fell to the ground, unconscious…

Prue wondered for a long moment what was happening to her. She almost felt like she was still in her astral state, but it was different somehow. She could see her own body being disintegrated, totally incredulous. How could this be, she asked herself. I'm here…

But then, she saw a bright light coming toward her, and she could hear the call. The voice was familiar, and she turned toward it, curious.

Her mother was there, as she had seen her many times before, glowing of a bright light. However, what really startled her was to see who accompanied her. Andy was standing by her mother, smiling softly and holding his hand to her, inviting her. Patti called to her again:

"Prue, it's your time. You must come with us."

Prue looked at both of them in turn, still unable to accept that it was all over. She then looked back toward the chamber to see Paul getting hurt by the Source and she gasped, trying to go to him. However, he seemed so far away by then that she couldn't reach him.

Patti came closer and took her hand in hers.

Prue tried to protest:

"I can't leave them, they need me…"

Patti:

"You did all you could, now it's up to them; your time has come, you must follow me…"

Prue looked back one last time, then she turned to the light and, guided by her mother and Andy, she entered it…

Paige was just coming out from work, and as she was walking away from the building, she suddenly felt as if someone had punched her hard in the chest. It was so real that she almost doubled over. Totally confused, she looked around searching for her attacker, but no one was there…

Then, when she looked ahead again, she screamed of fright. In front of her stood the ethereal form of a woman. She glowed of a bright light and smiled at her sadly. Paige started to slowly walk backward toward the entrance of the building, but the apparition talked and it stopped her cold:

"Paige?"

Paige opened wide eyes but didn't answer. The voice was soft and soothing. And then she understood why she looked so familiar. She clutched the locket on her neck. The woman was the one from the picture.

The women talked again:

"Paige, your sisters need you."

Paige could barely believe that she was there let alone understand what she was talking about. She babbled:

"My…My sisters?"

The ghost approached and Paige took another step back.

She was terrified at this point, but she had to know:

"Are you…" She hesitated some more, "are you my mother?"

The apparition smiled wider:

"Yes I am, my name is Patti, I can't stay long but I wanted to tell you about your sisters."

Paige:

"I do not have any sisters."

Then, she couldn't stand it anymore: 

"Leave me alone, I do not want to see you, you're only in my imagination…"

Patti:

"No, it's really me."

Paige:

"No! That's not possible." She babbled, still backing away from Patti. "Leave me alone, it's just my desire to see you that does this."

Patti:

"Please, it's almost time for me to go, you must listen…"

But Paige turned her back on her decisively at that point, and pushed the door of the building.

Patti, sensing that she was being recalled:

"They are in San Francisco, they will need you, please."

Then she vanished in a bright show of orbs, unsure if her lost daughter had heard what she had said…

Piper and Leo were worried sick. It had been over an hour and by all account, they had expected to see them back much sooner according to Paul's plan.

Piper:

"Do you think that something went wrong?"

Leo:

"I'm sure that Paul will succeed," he said, even though he was just as anxious as she was. He then took her in his arms and hugged her tight.

"It will be ok, I'm sure that everything will be fine."

Piper took a deep breath, and huddled closer to him, trying to take strength from him. They held each other, waiting…

The Source turned his attention to his former demon, which was struggling with the guards now, appalled at Prue's all too sudden death. Terror gripped his insides at the thought of what the Source might have done to Phoebe and his child.

The Source got up and slowly advanced on Cole, stopping only a few feet away.

"Now, Belthazor… It's between you and me…" He said gesturing to the still unconscious Wizard. 

Cole:

"Where are they," he asked angrily. 

The Source:

"Who, they?"

Cole tried to move toward him, enraged.

The Source:

"You know how to set yourself free, just do it…"

Cole:

"I won't do anything for you! At least not until I'm sure that my wife and son are safe," he added, somewhat defeated.

The Source grimaced, disgusted:

"Love, pfff. You have to get rid of this, Belthazor. That doesn't suit you."

Cole:

"You have me now, release them." He almost screamed, ignoring his sarcasm.

The Source:

"As you just said, I have you… So why should I let them go?"

Cole's temper flared:

"You don't need her, you already broke the power of three," he spat angrily. "Besides, you won't get anything from me until I am sure that they are safe…"

The Source:

"We will see."

The Source turned back, and walked slowly toward his throne. Then, he signaled to the demon Lucifer. The demon moved to the cell, and opened the heavy door, then entered it. He came back holding Phoebe firmly. She herself had the child, now silent, in her arms and squinted even at the semi-darkness of the chamber. It took her a moment before she could recognize all present, but when she finally could, a scream left her lips:

"Cole!"

He fought against his captors again, trying to get to her but they held on.

Lucifer brought his charges to the source and stood fast by his side, still holding on to Phoebe.

The Source:

"Now, as you can see they are alive…For now…"

Cole:

"Let them go!"

The Source:

Cole had to fight as much his own instincts as he fought to get free. He could feel the urge to let the demon out, but resisted.

The Source saw his struggle:

"Free yourself, you will feel so much better."

Cole took a deep breath:

"No!"

The Source pulled out a sword and put it at Phoebe's throat.

"If you want to save her, you will need your powers Belthazor…"

He pushed the blade just so, but a drop of blood came out, and Phoebe gasped, but stood fast.

"Brave little girl," the Source said with a cynical smile.

"But that won't save her… Let it out Belthazor, you can see now that there isn't any other option."

Cole looked at Phoebe, and her eyes were begging him not to give in. Cole was now breathing hard, the anger almost blinding him. He turned away from Phoebe and she called to him:

"Cole, no!"

He closed his eyes, and for a long moment, everyone else just watched as he obviously was struggling with the decision. Then he suddenly smiled, incongruously. Phoebe:

"No, you can't"

But then, he opened his eyes and looked directly at her, and she saw…

The Source was puzzled by his reaction:

"Are you back?" He asked him.

Cole turned to him, still smiling:

"I should thank you," he said calmly.

The Source thought that he had succeeded at this point.

Then Cole continued, confidently:

"I should thank you for showing me the way… I was so afraid of myself, that I didn't understand."

The Source:

"What are you saying Belthazor?"

Cole:

"There is no more Belthazor…"

The Source:

"Don't delude yourself, you will always be him. You're a demon, accept that."

Cole smiled anew:

"No, I understand now, I was afraid that my anger would release him, but he is dead…" He added almost matter of fact like.

"I thought that anger could make me evil again, but that never was about anger, now was it? It was about power and dominance. Well those things, I do not want anymore."

The Source:

"If you won't return to me, then your witch and the child will die…"

Cole turned to look at Phoebe as he continued for the Source:

"No they won't."

A swirl of light started from the ground, circling around him. The guards, startled, almost let go of him right then. The light enveloped him for a short instant, and then the change took place. When he came to view again, he had grown at least a foot taller; his arms, now bare, were twice as muscular as before, as was his chest now covered with a silver armor, which had replaced his clothing. Moreover, although there was still a resemblance to Cole, even his face had changed. His entire body glowed of a white light that clashed with the dark surroundings. Phoebe couldn't help a scream of surprise, but the point of the sword entered a few millimeters deeper in her skin, which stopped her cold.

Cole started in a deep voice, echoing in the chamber:

"Now you will let her go…"

The Source continued to threaten Phoebe, even as he looked at Cole angrily.

"You cannot hurt me," he said with conviction.

Cole didn't answer. Instead, feeling a surge of power mounting in him, he sensed more than he knew what he had to do. First, he threw off the guards like they were nothing. Then, once free of them, he positively flew to the Source' side, pushing the sword away, and sending an energy ball in the direction of Lucifer, who let go of his charges to protect himself. Cole then ceased his wife and son and vanished along with them in a flash of blinding light. All of this had happened so fast that none of the guards or the Source himself could react fast enough. Then, he growled in frustration…

Piper and Leo saw the flash of light and then Phoebe and the baby, but that was all, as the light dissipated. Phoebe looked around herself, puzzled.

She called anxiously:

"Cole?"

However, Cole was already gone. 

Piper ran to her sister, wrapping her arm around her shoulder, with tears in her eyes.

"Oh my god, Phoebe, we thought…"

Phoebe couldn't answer just yet. She was too worried…

In the Underworld, the Source continued growling, but now he was turning to Paul, with a definite ill intention.

"This time," he said, " you won't survive this." A surge of electric power formed in his extended hand. He was about to strike when the swirl of light enveloped Paul and took him away as it had been for Phoebe. The electric bolt went straight through the last remnant of the light, hitting the floor of the cave, where it made a deafening noise, sparks flying everywhere.

Paige was standing in the hall of her office building, trembling and utterly confused.

What was the matter with her, she asked herself? Then she wondered if all those years of frustration, searching for her true parents had not gotten to her somehow… She liked to think of herself as a reasonable person, at least most of time. At 23, she was a free spirit, but she never had seriously envisioned that supernatural things might actually exist. After a while, she decided that she must simply have been tired and hallucinated, no matter how out of character it was for her. But then, she had to admit that the punch she had received from an invisible assailant was something that she couldn't easily explain away. Still, she would have managed to convince herself that it also was her imagination, hadn't it been for the next unbelievable event. At this point, she wanted only to be home and get some rest. The thought had barely taken form in her mind that she felt as if she was lifted off the ground and flew right out of the building, without ever opening the door. Almost instantaneously, she found herself standing in the middle of her modest apartment, gasping for breath. That is when she started to think that she had gone raving mad…

(_I'm adding this for all of you, who feel that Prue's death may be too much. Let me point out that unlike the show, I do not have to pay royalties to Shannen Doherty to use her character, and as many suggested, in the charmed universe, there are ghosts and even people temporarily returning from the dead. For the matter of actually killing her, it simply was a mean to explore the new character of Paige, as we all will have to get used to her in the future. So I'm giving you my version of her J . It doesn't mean that Prue will not show up in the future, just differently. J )_


	5. Heaven Can't Wait (chapter 5)

Heaven Can't Wait **__**

Heaven Can't Wait

Chapter 5

Phoebe let her sister take the baby, still shocked by what just happened. Leo took her arm, and he barely had time to direct her toward the nearest seat that another bright flash of light appeared. This time, however, Cole stayed, carrying the unconscious wizard. Piper gasped at him, unsure if he was friend or foe. She moved to freeze him, just in case, but Phoebe stopped her:

"No! It's ok Piper."

Her sister turned to her askance, but Phoebe still had only eyes for the new form that her husband took. Cole looked at her quickly but turned away, transporting Paul to the couch. Phoebe wondered about his attitude. He should have been happy but instead, he seemed uncomfortable and almost…sad.

"Cole? Is Paul ok?"

Cole:

"Yes, I think so," he answered in a low voice.

Piper grimaced comically:

"Cole?" She repeated questioningly.

This one didn't seem very much in a hurry to turn toward them. The moment that he had settled Paul on the couch, he returned to his human form, but still kept his back to them.

Cole was debating how he should give them the awful news, but no matter how he turned it in his mind, it all sounded bad. Finally, he took a deep breath, preparing to perform the grim task, but the chime of a whitelighter orbing caught all their attention.

Coleridge materialized with a very serious expression, saying nothing. Piper suddenly realized:

"Where is Prue," she asked around anxiously.

When she got no answer, she asked again, louder but with a tremor in her voice:

"Someone tell us where Prue is…"

Phoebe had not known of her sister's presence in the underworld. However, seeing the utter panic on her sister's face gave her a chill.

"What are you talking about? What happened to Prue?" She asked turning to Cole, instinctively knowing that it was what bothered him.

Cole opened his mouth but closed it right back, and then he looked his father's way, as it was obvious that "_They"_ knew too.

Phoebe saw his movement and insisted louder:

"Cole, what happened to Prue? Did the Source take her too?"

Finally Cole made eye contact with her and she saw right away that the news must be terrible.

Cole:

"She came to save you… She tried and fought hard but that wasn't enough…" He swallowed hard.

"The Source won…"

Piper:

"What do you mean, the Source won? Where is she?"

Cole turned to her:

"I mean, he killed her." He had said this very fast, as if the words were burning his lips.

The girls stared at him incredulously. They could not understand the finality of what he was saying; it was too much to bear.

Piper:

"You're lying, I don't know why, but you're lying…"

He didn't answer but looked sadly toward her. Phoebe stood up and walked slowly toward him, then she gripped his arm, disbelief mixing with anger and confusion:

"You can't mean that, not really?"

Cole:

"Phoebe…"

Coleridge finally confirmed:

"It's the truth, the elders felt it."

They turned in block toward him, now in a state of shock.

Piper:

"But why didn't anyone try to save her, why are you all standing here, maybe there is still time…"

Cole:

"There is nothing that anyone can do for her anymore, I'm sorry…"

Phoebe:

"You're sorry? You were there, didn't you do anything to save her, you could have…"

Cole was hurt by her accusations, mostly because he felt that he really had failed Prue. Phoebe stared at him angrily for a moment, and when he didn't say anything, she turned away and stormed out of the room.

Piper seeing her sister's distress, which mirrored her own, put the baby carefully in the cradle that they kept downstairs, then she went after her sister without another look to the others.

Leo finally found his voice:

"Couldn't…" He questioned hesitantly.

Coleridge put a hand on his arm, stopping him. Then he turned to Cole:

"What happened?"

Cole:

"Prue tried to distract the Source, probably in the hope that Paul could do something, but he was too fast. He killed her on the spot, and then he turned to Paul and knocked him out. I tried to stop him, but I didn't have any power to use then…"

Coleridge:

"And what about him, why is he still unconscious?"

Cole:

"I really don't know. I tried to heal him on the way back, but that didn't seem to work. I have no idea why. He doesn't seem to be that hurt, yet he won't wake up…"

The other wizards were coming to him, pleading that he calmed down. He heard them but chose to ignore them. In the dreamscape, he could almost see them surrounding him. He knew that they were there for a reason, but at this point, he didn't even care to consider what it was; he simply wanted to be left alone. He thought that he heard Lilith warning him, telling him to control himself or else, but nothing would do. The pain was too much to bear. Anger and sadness were eating up at him. They were almost close enough to touch him, but he turned away, hiding inwardly. After a long moment, though, he forced himself to look back at them, only to see them moving away, faster even than they had come. He wondered why they had given up, but in his state of mind, he was just happy that they had not insisted. A gapping hole was forming in his soul, one that he didn't even try to close. Had it been any other circumstance, he would have known better, but the pain blinded him to the danger. Then, the others came…

Cole was tempted to go after her; however, he had no idea what he could tell her that would make up for what happened. He felt a deep sense of guilt and failure in spite of what he had managed to do. No matter how he turned it in his mind, he couldn't help but think that if he had done more, he might have saved them all…

As Leo was trying to get Paul to wake up, Coleridge noticed his son's pained look and came closer, putting a hand on his arm to get his attention. "She didn't mean it, you know that don't you? She is just hurting."

Cole took a moment before answering, and Coleridge could see that he didn't believe him.

"She has good reason to doubt me. Maybe she thinks that I bargained Prue's life for hers…"

Coleridge was startled but still continued:

"That's ridiculous…"

Cole turned to him; unsure himself of what really happened at this point…"Is it? Maybe things didn't really happen like this, but if the choice had been offered, I might have taken it…"

Coleridge replied with conviction:

"The old you might have, but not anymore. And I don't mean because of your transformation… You have changed so much in the last year, I know that you couldn't have done that, and she will too…"

Cole remained unconvinced, as he resumed staring in the direction she had left…

Leo was trying all he could to shake Paul out of his unnatural sleep, to no avail. The wizard might as well have been in a coma. He was about to ask for Coleridge's help, when a wave of anger washed over him. It lasted only a moment, but he had felt just as bad as when he had been turned evil, only a few days ago. A twinge of fear knotted his stomach afterward, as he wondered if the counterspell might not be wearing off…

Phoebe was sitting very still, staring at the kitchen window, through which she could see the manor. A single tear was coming down her cheek, but otherwise, she seemed expressionless. That is the way her sister found her. "Phoebe…"

Phoebe just went on staring, ignoring her sister. Her calm exterior was masking the turmoil that she felt inside. "How could this be?" She asked herself for the umpteenth time. "She can't be gone. Prue where are you?"

Piper came closer and wrapped her arm around her sister' shoulders as much to comfort herself as her sister.

For a long moment, neither could say anything, while inside they both were asking the same questions. Piper finally broke the silence, leaving her sister' side and taking a seat:

"What are we going to do?"

Phoebe:

"I don't know," she answered with a little voice. Then she got angry again:

"What was it all for? All this destiny crap we've been told about. All for nothing…"

Piper tried to talk:

"Phoebe I…."

However, Phoebe turned to her abruptly:

"You probably are relieved that it's over, you never wanted this in the first place…"

Piper felt like she had been slapped. She stared her sister down, angry as well now:

"How could you say that? Our sister just died and you think that I would care more about being free?" She snapped.

Phoebe just then realized how unfair she had been:

"I'm sorry," she said sincerely, and then the tears that she had kept inside came, the grief swelling in her chest. She had held on until then, fearful that if she let herself go, she might fall into deep despair. However, seeing the pain in her sister's eyes, there was no denying hers anymore. 

Both of them were hurting and appalled as well at the intensity of their reactions. Piper put her hand to her mouth, trying to contain the sobbing she felt was coming. The sisters looked at each other and finally recognized the shared grief. They fell into each other's arms, crying uncontrollably…

Paige crouched in a corner, still trembling. At this point, she started to think that maybe, just maybe someone had slipped something in her drink. Although, the thing that she couldn't figure out for the life of her, is who from work would do such a thing. 

Nevertheless, it was the only explanation that she could come up with. Two hours ago, her life had been as normal as anybody can expect, with little every day problems. Now, she was either going insane or drugged but there was no way in hell that she would accept what she saw and felt for fact. She had spent the best part of those two hours in this corner, too shocked to move. Finally, she thought that she had figured it out and she almost made it up, when the bright light announcing the apparition came back. She growled in frustration.

The woman, who had assured her that she was her mother, was coming back. This time though, she looked afraid. Paige couldn't help thinking: "join the club".

Out loud she said instead:

"What are you doing here again. I don't want to see you. You do not exist," and she closed her eyes as if she could make her go away by sheer will.

The woman wouldn't let her…

"Paige, you have to get a grip on yourself. I'm for real, and if you don't believe me, you will be in deep trouble soon."

Paige opened incredulous eyes, as she stared at her mother:

"What exactly do you call having hallucination, and imagining that I can fly?"

Patti grimaced:

"You didn't imagine it," she continued calmly. "It is one of your gifts. And it's not flying…"

Paige was so angry that she forgot to be afraid. She stood up and faced her, as she almost screamed:

"Whatever you call it, I don't have it…I'm simply becoming insane." 

Patti:

"You are not insane, this is all real and now you need to believe me, because you're in danger."

Paige:

"In danger?" She asked derisively.

Patti sighed:

"They could come at any moment, you have to be prepared."

As if on cue, someone knocked, and Paige jumped.

Patti insisted, turning toward the door anxiously:

"Get out of here now."

Paige was stuck in place, unsure of what she should believe. "And how am I supposed to do that, assuming that I believe this nonsense about someone wanting to hurt me…" 

Patti:

"The same way you came home, Paige"

Paige gestured impatiently:

"I don't remember how I got home."

Patti:

"Yes you do, you just won't accept it."

Paige:

"You got that right!" She decidedly turned away from the glowing woman and went to the door.

Paul finally started to wake up to Leo's relief. However, when the Wizard opened his eyes, all he could read in it was pain and anger. And maybe something else, he couldn't decide what it was, but it disturbed him deeply. He wished that he still had his whitelighter's sense right then. As it was, he could only trust his instinct. And those were rusty at best. "Maybe, I'm just so distressed at the moment that I see trouble where there is none." He finally thought. Paul stood much faster than he would have believed possible, given the long period of unconsciousness. He hardly seemed affected by it.

"How are you," he asked him even though, he knew that it couldn't be too good in the circumstance. 

Paul cast a derisive look in his direction:

"As well as one can be, considering."

The flat tone of voice and the impassiveness of his expression did nothing to reassure Leo, but again he put it on the grief and dismissed his worries.

Cole and his father noticed that he had awakened with a certain relief.

"Paul, I…" Cole had tried to say how sorry he was, but Paul simply dismissed him. Even avoiding looking at him. He simply went out of the room without another word, and they soon heard the front door close behind him.

The men looked at each other in puzzlement but as Leo had, Cole and his father thought his attitude understandable.

Paul walked slowly toward the manor, empty at the moment. Something ugly was worming its way into his soul, but he had no way of sending it back anymore. The entity, one he recognized as a powerful demon from the long past, was now taking over. When he had realized what was happening, it had already been too late. He knew that he had to get away from them, but couldn't resist the urge to see the manor, the places where they had been happy together. At least before he lost control completely…

"Maybe one of us should go after him," Leo told them.

Cole:

"I think that he really wanted to be alone… I'm sure that he will be back soon."

Leo:

"I don't know, I can't put my finger on it, but something seemed amiss with him."

Coleridge:

"What do you mean?"

Leo:

"Didn't you feel anything?" He questioned.

Coleridge:

"Like what?"

Leo:

"Oh I don't know exactly," he replied, somewhat frustrated. "I'm not sure of what I saw, but he seemed different."

Cole:

"He loved her very much, and I'm convinced that he is still under the shock. After all, he just woke up and to him it might as well have just happened. Give him some time…"

Leo was not entirely convinced, but he stopped talking about it. Besides he could see that Cole was not quiet interested in what was happening. He was still worried about Phoebe.

Coleridge noticed too:

"Go to her, she needs you."

Cole:

"Maybe… On the other hand, she might not be too happy to see me at the moment…

Coleridge:

"Go," he insisted. 

Cole looked back at the cradle, still hesitating.

Leo:

"That's al right, we'll take care of him."

He nodded to them, obviously grateful for their insistence, and went toward the dining room.

Paige tried to dismiss the woman's concern, but a lingering doubt pushed her to look through the peephole before opening the door. However, when she saw the man that was visiting, she sighed in relief. Bob Lindsay was his name, and he was a long time friend of her family. 

She was a little surprised of his visit, as those had been growing far in between since her parents' death. No matter, she was relieved to see a familiar face. What's more, he had always struck her as a reasonable person, well anchored in reality. She needed a dose of that at the moment.

She defiantly turned to her mother:

"There is nothing to worry about, I knew that I was just imagining things. Bob will help me and hopefully I won't see you again."

Paige found herself ridiculous as she was getting angry at a figment of her imagination. The knock on the door became insistent and she unfastened the dead bolt…

Patti lowered her eyes, defeated. She had hoped that her daughter would trust her instincts, but now there was nothing that she could do to prevent what was coming. Paige wouldn't listen to her. She had to go back, as her time was once more cut short. She felt the recall and tried to protest but it was time, she knew…

Paige finally opened the door and smiled brightly to the visitor:

"Uncle Bob," she exclaimed as she always called him. "I'm so happy to see you."

Bob didn't ask her why, and she threw herself in his arms, hugging him affectionately. The man who was tall, with dark hair and piercing green eyes just responded in kind while looking inside the little apartment.

Paige continued:

"You will never believe what happened to me."

Bob:

"Try me…"Over her head he was looking straight at the spot where Patti had stood only a moment earlier and his eyes glowed…

Cole entered the dining room hesitantly, seeing the two sisters still hugging each other. They had stopped crying but now, they couldn't let go of each other, taking the little strength they could from the other.

Piper noticed him first and reluctantly pulled away from Phoebe. This one looked at her sister askance, but then she saw that Piper was looking away and she followed her gaze. When their eyes met, he knew that whatever feelings she may have had about what happened, at the moment she simply needed him. He went to her and she hesitated only slightly before getting up and throwing herself in his waiting arms. She needed his strength more than she even thought, and only at this moment did she understand how much. Piper nodded sadly to him and she went back to her own husband, in as much need of his support as Phoebe had been of Cole's. Throughout her renewed sobbing, she asked:

"Jason?"

"He's fine, he's sleeping don't worry."

He tightened his hold on her. After a long moment, her sobbing stopped, but she just stayed in his arms.

He thought that now, he could talk to her about earlier, but all he could say was how sorry he was. For a split second, she tensed in his arms and he wondered if he had not been mistaken, but then she relaxed again and looked up.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, I was wrong."

Cole:

"No, I should have been able to do something, you were right. I failed her…"

Phoebe frowned slightly:

"What could you have done? At the time, it might just have made things worse. Paul, the baby and me are alive now because of what she did. But if you had died trying to save her, then her sacrifice would have been in vain. We would all be dead."

Cole felt angry nevertheless. All of this seemed so pointless:

"Why did she have to do this? How could she have thought that she had a chance to succeed?"

"I wasn't there," she answered sadly, " but I know… knew my sister, and no bad odds would have kept her from trying. She tried to protect us all to the very last…"

Prue was watching them, annoyed that she couldn't indeed protect them, as she wanted to. Patti came closer and Prue turned to her questioningly. Patti shook her head sadly, and that was answer enough.

"Why can't we tell them? They might be able to convince her."

Patti:

"Then what, we tell them and Paige refuses to help, where would they be then. I don't want them to have false hopes. Maybe I was expecting too much from Paige…"

Prue:

"Don't you remember how we felt when we found out? It's not easy to accept such a destiny." Her voice was still reproachful and Patti flinched. 

Prue:

"You should have told us, you know that don't you? It wasn't right."

Patti:

"I did what I thought best at the time. My indiscretion was going to cost all of you as much as it would have me."

Prue:

"You loved him, they would have understood…"

Patti:

"Didn't you realize by now that the Elders are not as benevolent as one would expect from a force of good? It already angered them greatly to find out that I had been seeing Sam, but to find out that there was a child…"

Prue:

"How could you give her up?"

Patti:

"It was for her own good, and if…"She hesitated at this point knowing that it was a sore point. "If you had lived, she would never have needed to know."

Prue:

"She should have known, it was her right…"

Patti didn't feel like arguing the point again:

"No matter, right now, it's up to all of them. All we can do is try to guide them in the right direction. Please do not tell them. It's hard enough as it is…"  
Prue:

"Maybe I can try something else…"

Paige let her friend in, and was relieved anew that the apparition was gone. She didn't think that she could have talked about it while the hallucination persisted. For it really did have to be it.

Bob:

"So what exactly happened to you?"

Paige smiled sheepishly:

"Now that I'm thinking about it, I really don't know if I can tell you, it sounds so crazy…"

Bob lifted an eyebrow:

"Crazy?"

Paige uttered a little laugh and turned toward her tiny living room, inviting him in,

She talked while walking toward the nearest seat and couldn't see the mean look that Bob gave her:

"I think that I must have had a nightmare, but it seemed so real…"

When she turned toward him, he had again the paternal smile on his face. 

Paige was wondering how to begin with this and her silence prolonged. Bob seeing that she didn't continue, insisted:

"Come on, I won't think that you're crazy, I promise…"

Paige:

"Wait till you heard it, then you'll decide," she finally said.

"Well, how should I start? A few hours ago, everything was perfectly normal, then I started having weird sensations and…" she couldn't bring herself to finish. So Bob smiled encouragingly…

"Oh ok, I saw a lady… She was glowing and she looked exactly like the woman in the locket."

She had expected him to be at least surprised, but he just went on smiling.

"Then, that scared me of course, and all I wanted was to go home, and low and behold, I found myself home just like that…"

Bob:

"Just like that…" he said matter of fact like.

Paige got very puzzled by his attitude. 

"You don't think I'm crazy?"

Bob answered mysteriously:

"No, I really don't… Tell me more about this."

Paige:

"What more is there to say? The lady was going on about her being my mother and me having sisters, who needed my help. All nonsense really…"

Bob's expression changed slightly, becoming more intense:

"What else did she tell you?"

His insistence made her uncomfortable suddenly. She started to wonder about him. Yet, she continued:

"She told me that people would be coming after me…"

Bob:

"Did she now?"

His tone of voice seemed somewhat threatening to Paige, but in her state of mind she thought that maybe she was reading things into this. 

She shook the malaise and smiled:

"You're pulling my leg aren't you?" She asked, forcing herself to sound unconcerned but not completely succeeding.

Then she went on:

"Where are my manners? Would you like something to drink? I don't have much but…"

Bob again returned to the charming person that she knew:

"Of course, some tea maybe?"

Paige:

"Coming up…" She turned toward the kitchen, but in spite of herself she felt the need to look back at her friend. Something wasn't adding up and she was getting more anxious by the moment. Not at all what she had wanted… Yet, when she looked back, he just smiled at her. So she went on. As soon as she was out of sight though, Bob's face became deathly serious. He was pondering the worth of probing more into this turn of event. As soon as he had felt her awakening, he knew that it was his moment. He had waited a long time for this. He knew only that this witch was special, not exactly why. The ghost, obviously of her mother, and her insistence about the sisters interested him particularly. "Still," he thought, "it wouldn't do to wait until she figures out that it's all real. Who knows what powers she could wield?" A long knife materialized in his right hand. He started slowly toward the kitchen…

Meanwhile, Paige was putting the water to boil, still questioning her friend's attitude.

She had just about decided that she was really seeing things when the new voice startled her…

Paul had been in the room for only a few minutes, when he felt his control slip for the first time. He was holding her picture, standing in front of the dresser, when suddenly he dropped the frame and got startled by the glass shattering… He breathed deeply, staring at the broken frame, and finally managed to regain enough control to leave the room. He got out of the house quickly, but once outside, another wave of anger shook him. He felt the urge to go and hurt the others so strong that it took all his might to resist it. Without wait, and as soon as he could control himself again, he vanished…


	6. Heaven Can't Wait (Chapter 6)

Heaven Can't Wait **__**

Heaven Can't Wait

Chapter 6

****

"It's been three days, don't you think it's about time that he gave us a sign…"

Leo was talking to Coleridge quietly, as the girls were preparing for the funerals. 

"You know," he continued, "Cole reacted quiet in the same manner when we thought that Phoebe was dead… It's becoming a bad habit for the men in this family… I wouldn't have thought that Paul could have abandoned the girls in their grief though…"

Coleridge looked indulgently at the young man, or at least he considered him young compared to him…

"I'm sure that he would like to be of help but he might not have the strength right now…"

Leo looked curiously at him:  
"Do you have any idea of where he is?"

Coleridge:

"No, unfortunately I'm just as much in the dark about this as you all are. He simply vanished without a trace three days ago…"

Leo watched him for a moment more, as if wondering what, if anything he might be hiding, but he decided to drop it and went to Piper instead.

Coleridge's attention was still on him when his son's voice coming from behind startled him:

"What's the matter?"

Coleridge:

"Nothing really. Why do you ask?"

Cole:

"I don't know, Leo seemed upset. I mean more than usual considering…"

Coleridge seemed to relax:

"Oh he was just wondering about Paul's absence. He actually compared it to yours at Phoebe's _funerals."_

Cole frowned at the reminder:

"Well, if he feels anything like I did then, that might explain why he wouldn't want to be here…"

Coleridge:

"You think that he feels guilty for her death?"

Cole seemed even more uncomfortable at the mention of guilt.

"Possibly." He answered shortly.

Coleridge continued:

"As you still do…"

Cole looked the sister's way before answering almost in a whisper:

"Yeah…" 

Cole saw that his father was about to protest and he raised his hand to stop him.

"Don't try to make me feel better about this. I should have been able to save her. Now things are so much worse."

Coleridge:

"Maybe, it won't be as bad as it seems now."

Cole:

"What do you mean?" He asked suddenly interested.

Coleridge:

"That's all I can tell you for now. I have already said too much."

Cole insisted:

"If there is something that you know…"

Now it was Coleridge's turn to interrupt:

"Please don't ask me anymore, suffice to say that the situation might change soon and leave it at that…"

Cole was intrigued by this information, but he understood that his father couldn't or wouldn't say more…

He still looked pensively from the sisters to his father in turn, wondering…

Up there, the Elders were in uproar. 

They usually had little or no contact with the dead, but in this instance they were staring at Patti's ghostly figure severely.

"How did you manage to hide her?"

Patti was getting tired of the questioning. She knew how important it was to them but this was becoming too much.

She answered with a point of sarcasm:

"The first time or this one?"

One of the Elders bent toward her with a vaguely threatening stance, to which Patti just shrugged as he definitely had no more powers over her.

"Where is she?"

Patti wished that she could answer that question but she didn't let them see this. Instead she reiterated her protestations:

"You may say what you want about me, but if I hadn't had this girl with Sam, things would be hopeless right now…"

Undaunted the Elder who was leaning toward her continued:  
"And what good does it do if she disappeared?"

Patti shrugged again, this time with a little embarrassment, but didn't answer…

"How long are we supposed to stay here?" Paige asked the ghost, now used to talk to her. For the last three days, they had been hiding, moving apparently through dimensions. The simple thought of it blew her mind. Until the faithful moment, three days ago, when she had finally realized that it was all true, she had considered such word as part only of science fiction movies and not the best ones at that…

Prue's ghostly silhouette turned to her with a hint of irritation:

"For as long as necessary."

Paige gestured angrily:

"As if that wasn't enough that I most certainly lost my job, that I have no clue where I am… You say that you are my sister, my dead sister at that… When is this going to end?"

Prue:

"You have to accept your destiny. Only then will you be able to face the danger and live to talk about it."

Paige gave her a dubious reply:

"Huh, like you?"

Prue hesitated. Three days ago, before they had embarked in this little escapade together, the situation had been pretty hairy. She had come to try and talk to her newfound sister, only to realize the imminent danger that she was in. As soon as she had managed to appear in Paige's tiny kitchen, she had started anxiously to try and convince her of her gift. Paige had become really angry at the new arrival. 

"What in the hell?" She had said, too angry by then to even think of being scared. "I get rid of one vision and then I get another… Will someone please wake me up from this nightmare."

Prue, at this point had used her most severe tone of voice and curtly replied:

"WAKE UP, indeed. He is about to come in and kill you!"

Paige refused to be intimidated or detoured from reality:

"Not that again! No one is coming to kill me, and I have had enough of all this."

She had barely managed to utter this that she caught sight of her uncle coming in the kitchen. This time though, there was no doubt about his intentions. He held a mean looking knife and the smile on his face contained no trace of the friendship that she thought they had.

Paige exclaimed:

"Bob!"

Bob stopped for a moment, looking at her in derision:

"There is no more Bob… My name is Gandel and I have come for your powers, at last."

Paige turned to the ghost that only she, apparently, could see.

Then she turned back anxiously to Bob:

"Powers?"

You see little witch," he replied in a low and threatening voice, " you won't have to worry about this for much longer…"

Then he started toward her resolutely.

Prue almost screamed at her:

"Use your power now! You have to get away from him."

Paige still stared with terror filled eyes at the man she had always considered a friend, and Prue had to repeat anxiously:

"Now!"

The loud voice triggered something inside her. She felt the real need to get away and just as she thought of it, this time there was no doubt about what happened. All around her, little balls of light started to appear and in a few seconds she knew that she wasn't in the kitchen anymore. She found herself standing in the street below, shaking all over.

But the voice wasn't going to give her any respite. Prue continued anxiously:

"Do it again, we need to get away from him…"

Paige was about to protest that he was still upstairs, when he simply blinked right in front of her. Only a quick reaction saved her as she orbed again. Amazingly enough, she found herself in the house where she grew up. This was out of town, miles away from where she had just been. Prue again didn't give her a chance to take a breath:

"It's not enough, repeat after me:

"In the shimmering light, the way be shown

Let us safely cross through to the unknown"

Paige was too stunned to protest, and she repeated the words even if the absurdity of the situation was so obvious to her. However, the moment she finished the spell, a bluish mist surrounded her and in an instant she was transported in a land that didn't do anything to alleviate her worries. Around her, a strange vine forest extended beyond her field of vision. It was dark and cold. Strange noises, totally unfamiliar, gave her chills. Now she was absolutely convinced that it all was a nightmare for no such place had ever existed. She didn't even believe it possible that she could have a nightmare about it, so foreign this place was. "Girl," she said aloud, "you have gone way over the edge this time."

She was already pinching herself, when Prue appeared again in front of her. This time, Paige didn't jump at the apparition. Instead she went closer, almost threateningly:

"Where in the hell did you bring me? What sort of nightmare is this?"

Prue found it almost amusing that she was trying to intimidate her. Nevertheless the situation was serious and she now had some time to talk to her. She intended to make the best of it:

"First of all, I didn't bring you here, at least not really. You did…"

Paige interrupted rudely:

"Of course I did," she said stubbornly, "it's my nightmare."

Prue chose to ignore the anger in her voice:

"I know or I think that I know how you feel; I still remember how it was for me when I found out what I was…"

Paige:

"What you are? You are a figment of my imagination…"

Prue:

"NO! You have to understand that I'm here and that you truly are in this strange world. But more than anything else, that it is your powers as a witch that allowed you to come here, so doing escaping certain death…"

Paige derisively:

"Yeah, my best friend was trying to kill me…"

She gave one more dejected look at the ghost and turned her back to her decisively. She didn't know where she would go, but she was sure going to try and get away from Prue…

Prue pinched her ethereal lips in frustration. By following Paige into this world, she had cut the ties with their own world and ensured that she couldn't be recalled. Her intention was to take as much time as was needed to convince her sister to help. However, she realized in this instant that it might be a lot more difficult than she had imagined. In spite of herself, she worried about her sisters, making it difficult for her to sympathize with Paige's troubles. Still, she knew that she would have to be patient, a sentiment that was somewhat stranger to her…

Now, three days later, in the relative safety of a cave, Prue thought back to this and knew that her patience was just about worn off… At least by now, Paige had accepted her as the ghost of her sister. And she also was this close to believing that she was a witch. It still didn't convince her that she should go to Piper and Phoebe, and even less that she should accept her destiny…

Paige protested again:

"How much longer do I have to stay in these ugly places. I want to go home…"

Prue impatiently answered:

"Home to what? A lonely life, in which you have no idea of what you really are and what you could do?"

Paige:

"A life where people, friends of mine," she says louder, "didn't try to kill me before I heard of you."

Prue:

"You were looking for us, well now you found us."

Paige:

"If I had known, I wouldn't have been looking…"

Prue:

"I don't believe that. I know that in your heart, you've always been aware that you were destined to greater things than being an underpaid secretary…"

Paige looked curiously at the ghost, wondering if she had read her mind or something. By now, that wouldn't have surprised her in the least. This alone struck her as incredible. How could she not be surprised by such a thought? Yet she wasn't and she wondered if maybe there was something to what Prue said. With all the excitement of the last few days, she had barely any time to think back about all those dreams that she had formulated in the past. All the great expectations that were never met… Still, here she was, presented with a destiny, but not in any way the glamorous ones that she had imagined. What Prue offered, was a life of danger, and possibly sacrifices for other people. Maybe even the ultimate one, as she couldn't doubt it, seeing her sister as a ghost in front of her. For the first time since she met her, she found herself curious about it:

"What happened to you?"

The question startled Prue, as she had not expected this reversal in Paige's attitude.

"It's a long story, and it doesn't have to be like this for you…"

Paige:

"Tell me," she insisted.

Prue hesitated then she related to her what happened to all of them in the last few years since they had found out about being witches. 

She didn't go into all the details, but the more she said, the more Paige's interest grew. 

Paige interrupted at one point:

"The…Spell you used to bring us here and all the other places… Did you get that from this Book of Shadows of yours?"

Prue:

"No, in fact it came from a very good friend of mine." A shadow passed over Prue's expression. Paige could see that it was an emotional memory. She wondered about this as Prue continued:

"Paul is his name, he is a wizard… I'll explain that one later. Suffice to say, he helped us out of many difficult situations in the past…"

Paige:

"Oh…" Then when Prue stayed silent for a moment, she insisted again:

"Please continue…

Prue obliged.

The girls were now standing by the grave, the priest was telling the last prayer for their departed sister, but neither one of them really heard much of it. They both leaned on their respective husband for support and they were both closed to tears yet again. After the ceremony was over, Cole and Leo nudged them away from the site. They were in a daze, unable to believe that it was all for real. Actually, Piper still had doubts, more because of her intense denial than anything else did, as she turned to Leo, hopeful:

"You know that we were right here not long ago for Phoebe's funeral and yet here she is, alive. Couldn't it be the same for Prue?"

Leo didn't know what to answer to that. It really was difficult to burst his wife's hopes. However, he was convinced that this time, it was for real…

"Piper," he started softly, but he couldn't continue when he saw the pain in her eyes.

Cole also heard the comment. He had explained to them after they insisted, what had happened in the underworld. He couldn't doubt either that Prue was dead. Still, he didn't think that now was the time to remind Piper or Phoebe of the very different circumstances. There would be time later for this. 

Ever since it had happened they had either grieved for their sisters or feared that the demons would come to attack, now that they were down. However, no one had come for them as of yet. Phoebe thought that they probably didn't because they feared Cole and his new powers, which was a reasonable assumption. For this reason, even though the Elders had wanted him to come to them, he had refused to leave their side even for a moment. There was nothing that would make him risk their safety again, no more than he would risk staying away from his child, who was in Coleridge's arms, and this one was now walking back to the cars with them. They were almost there when Coleridge looked up in the usual manner of a whitelighter receiving a call. He turned toward them apologetically and Phoebe understood. She went to get the baby from him and with a weak smile told him that it was ok. He looked around and when he was sure not to be seen, orbed up.

For the last three days, the two families had preferred to stay at the Turner's house, as too many memories were found at the manor. However, on this day they had decided to spend a few hours there. For the first time since they had lost their sister, they were entering the house. Phoebe and Piper looked at each other in sorrow before opening the door and just as they had worked up the courage, Coleridge returned from his short visit to the Elders.

They looked at him curiously for a short moment but he told them nothing and they entered the house. However, before they could all go inside, Coleridge took his son's arm and pulled him out of hear shot.

"The Elders really need you right now…"

Cole:

"You know perfectly well that Phoebe and Piper need me more here, it's too dangerous for me to go."

Coleridge hesitated, and then he seemed to make a decision:

"Ok I wasn't supposed to tell you, but it's important that you help so here goes: there may be another one…"

Cole, perplex:

"Another what?"

Coleridge looked around as if afraid that one of the others could hear:

"Another sister…"

Cole wondered if he heard right:  
"What did you say?"

Coleridge replied impatiently:

"You heard me."

Cole took a moment before asking again:

"And where would be that…sister?"

Coleridge:

"Well you see that is our problem, she disappeared…"

Cole almost laughed at this:

"You can say that again, no one has ever heard of a fourth sister…"

Coleridge remained very serious:

"Until now."

That shook Cole a little:

"Ok, I thought that it was a bad joke… but you're going a little far…"

Coleridge:

"It's true, I assure you and we believe that only you can find her again."

Cole frowned:

"How?"

Coleridge:

"The Elders are convinced that as your ancestors and the demon that you were, you can still travel between dimensions… And it would seem that Paige, that is her name, has been transported in one or more alternate universe."

Cole:

"By whom and why?"

Coleridge:

"The why would be that she became in danger from the moment that her witch powers were awakened. The who…"

Cole seeing that he still hesitated:

"Who?"

Coleridge:

"Prue…"

Cole jumped a little, then:

"Prue?"

Coleridge was about to answer when Phoebe came back out, wondering what they were doing. 

"Is there something wrong?" She asked anxiously.

Coleridge answered rapidly:

"Not really, it's just that the Elders really want to talk to your husband…"

Phoebe didn't like what she heard, particularly not on this day and she turned to Cole somewhat irritated:

"You're not going are you?"

The look on his face told her immediately that something had changed but he said nothing. Instead Coleridge intervened:

"If it wasn't important, they wouldn't ask Phoebe."

She signaled that she heard him but went to Cole directly.

He looked down at her wordlessly for a moment, debating on what he should tell her. His father didn't have time to say, but he understood that they didn't want the girls to know. 

Finally he said:

"I don't want to leave you but…"

She asked softly:

"What is so important?"

He looked toward his father, who wordlessly signaled that he shouldn't…

"I can't tell you."

And when he saw that she was about to protest:

"But it will become clear soon, I promise."

Phoebe:

"Why not now?"

He smiled gently, trying to ease her anxiety:

"Just be patient, please" he almost pleaded.

She looked at him with a questioning expression for a long moment then she sighed in resignation.  
"Alright," she said at last, as much to him as to his father. "Will it take long?"

Coleridge:

"There is no way to know."

Cole turned to him:

"You'll have to stay here with them, or I won't go anywhere…"

Coleridge:

"Of course, don't worry."

To Phoebe:

"I'm sorry…"

She put her fingers on his mouth then said:

"Just come back soon."

Cole smiled again:

"Promise." Then he kissed her and vanished in a flash of light. 

Phoebe turned to Coleridge:

"I hope it's for a good reason?"

Coleridge:

"I assure you, it is…"

She was about to question further when a new arrival caught her attention. Joel was coming up the driveway with a very dark expression. She invited him in immediately. Then as she saw that he remained very serious:

"Did Paul tell you," she asked?

Joel replied sadly:

"He didn't have to, we all felt his grief…"

Phoebe:

"All?"

Piper and Leo had just come to them, worried also by the time it took the others to come back in.

Joel ignored the question:

"I'm very sorry for your loss, but I have another reason to be here. Did you see Paul in the last few days?"

The girls were impressed by the gravity of his tone of voice; well beyond his physical age. They understood that they were now talking with the old soul of the boy.

Piper was the one to answer for them:

"No we haven't seen him since he left our house three days ago, we are very worried too…"

Joel:

"As well you should be, but not for the reason that you think… Something is wrong with him and we are not sure how much in danger everyone is because of it. We just know that it is bad…"

Piper:

"What do you mean?"

Joel:

"An old evil has resurfaced and used his grief to invade him. We think that Paul is trying to get rid of him somehow, but we have no idea of where he went… You should be prepared in case he fails."

The others stared in disbelief. All but Leo, who now realized that what he had felt, might just have been real… 

A strange mist rose from the unseen ground. Paul sat quietly, as if suspended in the mist, eyes closed and apparently in deep concentration.

However, his mind was in a constant battle with the entity.

"You can't keep me in check forever, you know that Los. Sooner or later, you will fail and I'll be in control."

Paul breathed deeply, refusing to be taunted by the voice.

"I'll keep you here, for as long as it's gonna take."

The Entity laughed derisively:

"You are deluding yourself, I'm already in you, it's only a question of time, very little at that, before I take over and escape this dreary in between of yours."

In a deep corner of his mind, one that he still could keep away from the entity, Paul knew that he was probably right. However, he intended to fight every inch of the way. There was too much at stake in this.

He had been in this place for a long time now; he wasn't sure how much. When the first sign of his losing control appeared, he had put himself in between world and reality. In a place that he knew wouldn't affect any living being anywhere. Suspended in this non-reality, he had fought to regain control, but until now had not been successful. All he could do was delay the apparently inevitable. He knew that he was this close to fail in his attempt, and fear crept its way inside him. With a mighty effort, he pushed it back, determined to make sure that the entity wouldn't know how close he was to succeed.

No matter how hard he tried not to hear, the voice persisted:

"You're mine and soon they all will be…"

Paige looked away, uncertain of what to think of all these revelations.

Prue called to her:

"What?"

Paige:

"This sounds so unbelievable. If I wasn't here and seeing it with my own eyes, I couldn't even imagine that any of this was possible. Not in a million years…"

Prue:  
"I know how you feel, trust me. Four years ago, when it all started, I didn't believe it either. Nevertheless, when the facts were finally obvious to me, I accepted them, and so did our sisters…"

Paige looked back suddenly:

"How?"

Prue smiled warily:

"It simply was the right thing to do."

Paige pursed her lips in indecision:

"I wish that I could believe in this as much as you do. But it's all too much. Why me?"

Prue:

"It's our destiny, our family's destiny; and I know that you must know that in your heart."

Paige defiantly:

"What if I don't? What if I refuse to accept this destiny of yours?"

Prue:

"It's part of who you are, you cannot deny it."

Paige:

"But isn't there a way for me to stay out of it?"

"There might be…" she finally replied in a hesitant tone of voice.

Paige showed interest at this:

"Really?"

Prue quickly started again:

"But it still would be no guaranty that they wouldn't come after you, and what's more, you would put all of our family, maybe even the world in jeopardy…"

This didn't seem to impress Paige, and Prue began to doubt that she could help them… 

The Elders were mildly pleased at his arrival:

"It took you long enough to answer our call…"

Cole didn't let them intimidate him:

"I had good reasons and you know it."

One of them started again, ignoring the challenge:

"I gather that you know now why we called you?"

Cole:

"Yup, although I still have trouble believing that neither sides were ever aware of her…"

The Elder:

"Nevertheless, it's real and we need you to find her…"

Cole:

"Are you sure that she wants be found?"

The Elder insisted:

"You know as well as we do that your wife and her sister are in great danger still. If there is a chance that this girl could come to them and reestablished the power of three, it is worth a try."

Cole:

"Well then, I'll try my best."

He vanished without waiting for their approval…


	7. Heaven Can't Wait (Chapter 7)

Heaven Can't Wait **__**

Heaven Can't Wait

Chapter 7

****

In the time that he had spent here, Paul had felt a few ripples that told him someone was also traveling between dimensions. It had happened quiet a few times already, but he didn't think much of it. Some of his kind and others from different dimensions also had this ability, although it was still very rare. What he had found curious was the fact that it felt like one of his spells was used, and he wondered if the other wizards were looking for him.

The entity could also feel this, and from what Paul understood he was just as curious, but obviously not for the same reasons. They, as a group, had lost the ability to travel in this fashion other than by using spells. On the other hand, the entity could very much do it, but only in its original form. _IT_ could have come in this manner of course, but then incurred the wrath of the Higher Powers. _IT_ certainly didn't want to be sent back to hell before having wreaked havoc in the world, and would use him for as long as it could. 

Until now, both of them had only given a passing interest to these events, busy as they were in their little tug of war. However, the first of a different series of ripples shook them much more than the others… Paul knew right away that a different one was now traveling and that he was doing it repeatedly, apparently searching one world after the next.

He knew where this particular traveler had come from because the strength of the ripple had been clearly felt. This one had come from his reality. He didn't know of many that could do this. As a matter of fact, he personally knew of only one. Apparently the entity could read this, and he became agitated. If Cole had left their world, the demon knew that his plan would have one less hurdle, and he redoubled his effort at taking control. This time Paul knew that he might not be able to resist the assault…

Cole had promised to do his best and he intended to, using his archangel form to travel as it gave him more speed and strength. Still he had some doubts as to how he would find her. The Elders and his father had mentioned that Prue was somehow with Paige. So he concentrated in using his newly acquired sense for witches and probed world after world for her essence, since it was one that he knew well. All through this, he couldn't help worrying about Phoebe and the baby. He had not been gone that long, but it still was too long for them if something was to happen. He could only hope that Coleridge and the girls would be up to the task if the demons decided to attack. Many times he was tempted to give up and go back, but he was aware of the importance of finding this girl. For as long as the power of three was broken, the world and most importantly, his family, would be in an even greater danger than they had been until then. After he once more failed to feel Prue, he moved on to the next world, promising himself to work even faster.

Joel had let the news sink in, keeping silent after his revelations. Phoebe and Piper were still incredulous and Piper finally told him so:

"We thought that you had made sure this could never happen again."

Joel looked her way sadly:

"So did we, but we had not anticipated the depth of Paul's grief… He wasn't just sad, he also felt guilty for what happened and it left him opened to invasion. He had completely lost control. We tried to tell him, but he didn't listen, then it was too late and to avoid being exposed ourselves to the demon, we had to leave him."

Phoebe asked angrily:

"Why couldn't you help him?"

Joel lowered his head in defeat.

"You know that we are only humans with knowledge, not powerful witches or whitelighters, or archangels for that matter… We remember the time when we were but that's all. If we had stayed with him, the same thing that happened before would have again. Right now, I wouldn't be warning you; instead, I might be trying to harm you…"

In spite of themselves, the girls took a step back. They remembered too well what had happened before and they definitely were not in any way impatient to see something like that again.

Phoebe:

"What can we do?"

Joel:

"You could try the spell that you used before, although I'm afraid that the power of three was needed for it to work…"

He saw that it was a dolorous subject and grimaced at his own lack of sensibility. 

Nevertheless he continued:

"There is also Cole, which could be of help in this instance… Where is he?" He asked looking around.

Coleridge seemed embarrassed:

"He had to go…"

Joel, as well as Piper and Leo turned to him askance, as they only now became aware of Cole's absence.

Piper:

"Where?"

Phoebe:

"In the circumstances, I'd really like to know this too…" she said, turning to Coleridge as well.

Coleridge's embarrassment deepened but he still kept the secret:

"I can't tell you, but you have to believe that there is a vital reason for his absence. He just needs some time…"

Joel seemed even more worried:

"Well, I hope that whatever it is, when he's done it won't be too late…"

The obvious fear in the wizard's voice had them all worried. 

Piper:

"At least, let's do what we can…"

Phoebe knew what she meant and without another word they both went upstairs to look up the book…

Once there, they made a startling discovery. 

Phoebe:

"Piper do you see what I see?"

She was indicating the cover of the book, where something strange had happened indeed. The last time that their powers had been severed, by their own fault admittedly, and Phoebe thought to herself by Cole's fault as well, the triquetra had been completely broken, with the three ellipses out of the circle, making it obvious. This time, though, the ellipses were only halfway out of the circle. 

Phoebe:

"Do you think that it means we still have some of the power of three?"

Piper:

"I really don't know. That is very strange, but maybe it's because Prue didn't actually lose her powers to a warlock or something… At any rate, I don't think it means much…" They jumped when the triquetra glowed red for an instant, and the ellipses seemed to grow further apart…

Prue was growing increasingly desperate. No matter the amount of arguments she presented to Paige, there seemed to be none that would take her mind off the possibility to avoid her faith.

She was about to try again, when a weird sensation stopped her short…

Cole was getting impatient. He had already searched countless worlds without results. He was beginning to think that they would have to wait until Prue brought her back from wherever she had taken her. Then again, the reason why they had sent him on this quest was that they didn't really know why Prue had not brought her back in the first place. The Elders had been afraid that something had kept them both from returning, and turned to him for this reason…

He was about to travel to the next world when he felt more than saw the rift opening in front of him. He almost jumped in surprise to find himself faced with Paul. This one looked worse for wear and had a very dark expression. He seemed in physical pain. 

Cole:

"How the hell…"

Paul quickly:

"It doesn't matter, but I have to know why you left the girls alone?"

Cole answered slightly on the defensive, as Paul's tone was accusatory:

"I had a good reason…"

Paul replied with an edge:

"Which is?"

Cole found his attitude rather offensive and let him know about it:

"First thing first, where were you? Before talking about what I'm doing, maybe you could answer that. You don't look too good by the way…"

Paul frowned and ignored the question:

"What is it that is so important that you would leave the girls unprotected?"

Seeing that once again, the wizard would not answer a direct question, Cole thought that maybe he could at least help him:

"I'm looking for a girl, one that could be very important to Phoebe and Piper…"

Paul seemed to struggle for a moment then he asked:

"And why would she be in another dimension?"

Cole:

"Apparently, she was trying to escape a demon or a warlock and…" He hesitated before continuing, knowing that it would be difficult for Paul.

Paul insisted:

"And?"

Cole:

"Well, Prue seemingly saved her by traveling in other worlds…"

Paul put two and two together, finally understanding why the spell used was his. It was one that he had given to her, in case of need…

Paul:

"I might know where they are…"

Cole was suddenly alert:

"Really? Then tell me, it's important…"

Paul seemed to debate the issue and Cole was about to insist when he finally looked back at him:

"I'll show you where they are, but then I'll ask you a favor and you have to promise that you will do it for me."

Cole felt something intensely wrong emanating from his friend and he seriously wondered about him.

He frowned but still went on, without commenting on it:

"What favor?"

Paul impatiently:

"Don't ask me anything, I'll tell you when we are there."

Paul had had a last resort idea after feeling the archangel, and now he was fighting hard to keep the entity from guessing his plan. Fortunately, the demon was a little worried about the Archangel's proximity and didn't try to affirm his hold on Paul.

Cole watched him for a moment, debating what he should do. He was worried about the wizard's behavior and even more about the strange sensation. However at this point, he was aware that searching for them could take much too long, and there was no time to lose:

"I guess that I have to agree. Show me…"

Prue had chosen to stop in this world for a very good reason. There was not a soul in it. Barely a few animals at all, the world was almost primordial and it suited her purpose very well. She really thought that it would take anyone a long time to find them in such a desolate world. However, it wasn't going to be, as she definitely had felt the presence of two magical beings in close proximity. She immediately moved toward Paige, preparing to have her chant the spell again, but stopped herself when she saw who was coming…

Paul thought that he had succeeded in keeping the entity in check, but when he saw Prue, the pain that had caused this in the first place returned almost as strong as in the beginning. This was enough for the Entity to see what Paul planned, and _IT _knew that it had no time to lose, attacking him repeatedly. Paul almost folded in two as the mental pain had become physical, and rather than go to Prue, he turned to Cole anxiously:

"You promised to do a favor for me, now is the time."

Cole turned to him curiously.

Paul then told him between clenched teeth:

"You have to kill me, now."

Cole:

"What?"

Paul:

"This is the perfect place, with only you and the witches, he won't be able to use anyone and will have to return to his hell…"

Cole:

"What are you talking about?"

Prue was moving toward them but she couldn't make out what they were saying, while Paige observed from afar, paralyzed by a sudden dread. Paul would have preferred that they didn't have to witness this but it was too late to prevent it.

Paul:

"I have no time to explain, you have to do it or everything might be lost."

The Entity was now fighting frantically to take control as he knew exactly why they had come to this place. Cole could now feel the demon clearly and he realized that Paul wasn't the only one in his body. The wizard looked at him with pleading eyes, holding on to the last of his own will to try and convince him to act.

Killing wasn't stranger to Cole, but in the last few years he had learned the value of life and even more when it came to a friend. Nevertheless, he saw in Paul's eyes that there was no other solution and started raising his hand. Prue finally understood what was happening although she couldn't guess why, and at the last moment she assumed that Cole was doing the wrong thing. She searched inside herself for the powers that she still had, remembering that her Grams could still use it even as a ghost. She put all her emotions in it and sent Cole flying back toward the rocky wall. He didn't have time to get up or tell her why before the Wizard was lost…

The entity, now in total control, didn't lose any time and vanished immediately under Prue's incredulous stare.

She then turned to Cole with angry eyes:

"What were you doing? What just happened?"

Cole sighed heavily while getting back on his feet. At this moment, he even forgot about his remorse. 

"Well, it would seem that you just helped a powerful demon to free himself…"

Prue couldn't understand what he meant; all she knew is that he had almost killed Paul:

"It was Paul you were trying to kill, what else did you think that I would do?"

Cole tried to keep the irritation from his voice but without much success:

"Oh I don't know, maybe I thought that I finally had your trust…"

Prue, undeterred:

"There is a limit to anyone's trust Cole. You were about to kill the man I love…loved," she added remembering what she was now, painfully.

Cole added, loud enough for even Paige to hear:

"I wish I had time to give you all the details, at least as far as I know them. But for now, suffice to say that you probably put your sisters in more danger than they were before and it is imperative that this girl," he pointed to the still immobile Paige, " be returned to our world.

Until now, Paige had not reacted, but being included in the discussion shook her out of her prostration:

"I'm not going anywhere with you…" She said firmly. 

Prue looked at him and he knew that she unfortunately agreed. 

"We are not going anywhere until you explain yourself."

For a brief instant, Cole was tempted to grab Paige and bring her back against her will, but he understood that she wouldn't be of any help if she didn't agree on her own. So because of this, he began explaining what had happened…

Paul's body, now not his own, reappeared in a park away from prying eyes. The entity had not lost any time after he understood that the archangel had found out about him. He didn't fear him per say, but he knew that if he had struck Paul while unprotected, his plan would have been ruined. Right now, he also had his priority straight. If he wanted to roam this world, he had to get rid of the real threat to him: the witches. In order to do this he simply started walking down the path. Every mortal that he met became possessed by him and followed him. Now that he was free of the wizard's hold, he could invade others at will, and he intended to use as many of them as necessary to kill his enemies.

At the manor, they were now anxiously waiting, wondering if anything would really happen. Phoebe held her baby close to her, fearful of letting him out of her sight even for an instant. She was convinced that whoever or whatever this entity was, he wouldn't be content to hurt them and would go after him too. From the way Joel was staring at her and the baby, he looked like he thought the same. 

He suddenly turned his stare toward the front door and there was no doubt in Phoebe's mind that this wasn't a good sign.

"What is it," she asked anxiously.

Joel answered without looking back:

"I think that he is coming…"

Leo was the second one to feel the new arrival. The wave of anger that he had felt in Paul's presence earlier was now overwhelming. He sensed that something was worming its way inside him. The message was clear and he fought with all his might against it:

"Kill the witches!"

However, no matter how hard he tried, the sensation made its way completely inside him and soon he wasn't in control of himself anymore. He turned to Piper, who stood only a few feet from him, and only chance made her look his way before he struck. She reacted immediately by freezing him. Only then did the absurdity of what just transpired come to her.

"Leo?" She asked even if she knew that he couldn't hear.

Coleridge came to her and pulled her away from Leo before she was tempted to free him. Joel felt the same rage mounting in him and knew that he had to get away before it was too late.

"I have to leave, or I will hurt you just like Leo just tried to."

Piper:

"I'll just freeze you."

Joel fought hard to keep control of his emotions:

"It won't take. And you should get away from Leo as well, because when the Demon comes closer, he will unfreeze him."

Phoebe's level of anxiety grew as she looked down at her baby.

Joel without looking at her still said:

"If I can get away now, I can bring Jason with me in a safer place."

Phoebe hesitated. No matter the maturity of his words, the boy was still only ten, and what's more, he had just said that he might lose control. However, clamors from a crowd out there convinced her that the danger was imminent, and that her baby might have a better chance away from them. She got up, intent on handing him the baby, but this one started crying uncontrollably and it attracted Coleridge's attention. In an instant, he asserted the situation and orbed right between Phoebe and Joel. Phoebe stared at him in confusion as Coleridge himself faced Joel severely. 

"Leave the child alone."

Phoebe intervened:

"Sir, he simply wanted to protect him…" She had to speak louder over the child's cries and she suddenly wondered about the very different quality of it.

Coleridge ignored this and continued staring down at the young wizard:

"Fight it…"

That is when Phoebe saw Joel's eyes and they were filled with rage. Just as she watched, he seemed to hesitate; shaking his head repeatedly, then he somehow took back control of himself.

Coleridge insisted:

"Go now, before it's too late…"

Joel vanished without a word.

Only then did Coleridge turn to Phoebe.

"I could feel that he wasn't himself. He probably got contacted by the demon, and this one realized that his other target was in the house…"

Phoebe was now trembling all over, shook to the core of her being that she almost handed her child to the monster.

Outside, it was obvious that the angry mob was approaching and it didn't help her mood as she held tight to Jason.

"He still can't stay here, it's too dangerous…"

Coleridge hesitated, torn between the necessity to protect the girls and his desire to do the same for his grandson. 

Then he thought of something.

"The Elders won't like it but I know where he will be safe. Give him to me."

Phoebe was still unsure, given what happened with Joel, but looking in Coleridge's eyes, she knew that he was sincere. Besides, Jason had calmed down already, and she knew that his screams had been meant to alert her somehow. 

She still asked:

"Where?"

Coleridge just looked up and she handed him Jason after kissing his forehead tenderly.

Phoebe watched him go with the dreadful sensation that she might never see her son again. She wondered where her husband was through all this…

Cole had just finished telling them what he knew and he was now impatiently awaiting their answer. He knew that every minute counted. 

Paige:

"You're saying that this man was a friend but that he asked you to kill him?"

She was totally overwhelmed by the whole thing. Even though Prue had managed to convince her that many things she had thought impossible were in fact real, she still couldn't understand what he meant by this story of possession. What's more, she saw that what the newcomer had said hurt Prue, and it worried her even more.

"Besides," she added looking directly at Prue, "what can I do, if this…demon is so powerful?"

Cole had had enough of all this:

"Well, stay or come, then. But I'm going. Phoebe and Piper are in danger while you are debating…"

He seemed about to go, when Prue intervened:

"Wait!"

He stopped reluctantly then she turned to Paige.

"No matter what you think, you are part of us and they will need you to stop this monster." She had finally accepted Cole's explanation even if she found it almost too painful to bear.

Paige hesitated some more, fear creeping deeper inside her. But another feeling was rising as well. She somehow knew that Prue was right about this, but that didn't mean that she was ready to accept the whole thing.

"You really think that I can be of help?" She asked tentatively.

Prue smiled gently, now convinced that she had gotten through to her at last:

"Yes I do."

Paige turned to Cole and handed him a still shaking hand to hold.

"Then let's go," she said with an assurance that she was far from feeling inside.

Cole sighed in relief and didn't lose any time transporting her to their world, with Prue following.

A loud banging on the door alerted the girls that the attack was imminent. They had moved away from Leo as well. Piper was still reluctant to accept that her husband was a danger to her, but she chose to take the more cautious option, given the circumstances. They retreated to the attic and that is where Coleridge found them. 

Phoebe was startled to see him back and a little suspicious as well:  
"What did you do with my son?"

"Don't worry, he is in good hands, nothing will happen to him, but now you have to worry about yourselves. Do you have the spell?"

Piper:

"Yes, but of course, it might not have any effect…"

A loud crash downstairs told them that the attack had started, and that now there was no more time to debate on the effectiveness of their defense. It was the only one that they had…

Cole materialized Paige beside his own house, intent on asserting the situation. It didn't take him long to see that it was almost desperate. An ever-growing crowd was assembling around the manor. Many of them already were hitting windows and doors. Loud crashes could be heard, but more than this, the litany that the crowd repeated non-stop was what filled him with dread:

"KILL THE WITCHES! DESTROY THE CHOSEN ONE!"

Cole had no doubts on who the chosen one was, and he prepared to intervene, almost forgetting about Paige in that instant. She, herself, was staring at the crowd, in total panic. What could she do against this?

He was about to move magically inside the house when he spotted Paul among the crowd. He was seemingly reveling into the surrounding agitation and Cole had no doubt that he wasn't himself at all anymore.

To Prue who had just appeared beside him:

"I have to try and kill him. Maybe it will stop this madness…"

Prue couldn't agree with this so easily:

"At least, let the girls try the depossession spell on him." She looked toward Paige:

"With the power of three it might work…"

Cole:

"Hurry then."

Paige couldn't believe still, that she might be able to help. But in the face of all this, she didn't have the strength to protest when he grabbed her arm and moved her magically to the attic, where he had already felt his wife's presence.

They arrive to hear people running up the stairs angrily.

Phoebe exclaimed:

"Cole, where were you?"

Then she noticed Paige and wondered if one among the crowd had not managed to come in. However, the girl seemed just as scared as they were…

Cole moved toward Phoebe:

"Are you ok?"

Phoebe ignored this and instead asked:

"Who is she?"

Paige answered for him:

"I'm your sister…"

Piper as well as Phoebe opened wide eyes at this revelation:

Piper begun:

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Cole:

"It's true and she also might be your only chance to stop what is happening."

Phoebe turned an incredulous stare toward him:

"That's impossible, we don't have another sister. Why are you saying this?"

She had asked this angrily.

He pleaded:

"You know that I wouldn't lie to you…"

Coleridge intervened:

"He's telling the truth Phoebe. She is your sister."

The noise of the door cracking under the shock of repeated hits interrupted them.

Paige turned toward it in fear but she reacted to it at last:

"Look, I don't have time to explain this, I don't really understand it all myself. However, Prue told me that I could be of help, so do you want it or not?"

Piper didn't know what exactly should shock her more, the fact that this girl came in saying that she was their sister or the fact that she quoted their dead sister…"

Phoebe suddenly made a decision and turned to Piper:

"What do we have to lose?"

Without waiting for an answer she went to Paige and grabbed her arm to bring her closer to them. Then she signaled to her to read the spell with them:

"Leave these Shells we so demand,

Out of Body and Out of Mind,

Never Again will Hear nor See,

**We banish Thee, We Banish thee"**

In the attic, everyone held their breath, but it wasn't long before they realized that it had not worked.

The girls looked at each other, discouraged. As if that wasn't enough, the door came crashing down and the first few angry people poured in the attic. Paige was still holding her newfound sisters' hands and fear got her to react with the only resource that she knew she had. The three of them orbed out suddenly and found themselves back to where Cole had materialized her earlier.

Piper and Phoebe took a second to understand what had just happened, and then they turned in total surprise toward Paige.

Piper finally asked:

"Did you do that?"

She had still been holding the BOS, as she had been in the attic, but the surprise had made her drop it to the ground where it laid opened to the page where the spell was written. In spite of the amazing turn of event, she couldn't help but think of how useless this all had been.

Cole and Coleridge materialized beside them before she could answer:

"It didn't work, now I have to try and kill him…"

Phoebe:

"Kill who?"

Cole's face was a hard mask of determination:

"Paul," he simply answered.

He turned toward the crowd who had finally realized that their target had moved and were changing direction.

He spotted him again, closer this time and was about to go for him when a pressure on his arm stopped him.

Paige:

"I think that I know why it didn't work."

Every one turned to her at once:

"I'm sorry, I didn't believe that I could help."

Piper picked up the book and looked at the triquetra which had still not returned to his original form.

Paul, or the one that inhabited him, started moving toward them as well…

Paige got agitated:

"I do now, I know that I can help…"

The others hesitated but the approaching danger convinced them to try again.

Phoebe:

"Let's do it then."

Again the girls huddled, and Piper opened the book back at the page of the spell. The moment that they started to chant, she felt a vibration coming from the book in her hands, as if the power that they wielded was either coming straight from it or as if they gave it renewed power themselves. As soon as they started the chant this time, the whole crowd stood still, as Paul seemed to twist in pain.

Leave these Shells we so demand,

Out of Body and Out of Mind,

Never Again will Hear nor See,

**We banish Thee, We Banish thee"**

A dark shadow seemed to rise suddenly out of his body, and it writhed furiously before being sucked back into the ground as they had seen previously. Paul fell unconscious. 

The people around their house seemed to be coming out of the trance, looking around themselves in puzzlement and embarrassment. Many of them just walked away without looking back. Others seemed stuck in place. 

The sisters, Cole and Coleridge, after overcoming the shock, went toward Paul, and Cole picked him up. Then they decided without a word to go to the Turner house rather than try explaining to those people what happened. Better let them puzzle over it then risk being exposed. A very confused Leo came out of the Manor, and spotting them pushed a few of them aside to direct his pace toward them as well. Inside the house, they stayed silent for a long moment, all lost in thoughts, as Cole laid Paul down on the couch, relieved that he had not been forced to hurt him. He was also the first one to break the silence after he realized something that almost made him panic.

He anxiously asked Phoebe:

"Where is Jason?"

Phoebe:

"He's up there, he's fine," then she turned to Coleridge, "he's fine isn't he?"

Coleridge:

"Yes of course. I'll bring him back in a moment," he said as he orbed up.

Phoebe turning back to her husband:

"You know, not that I dislike your present appearance, but it is kind of conspicuous…"

Cole just then realized that he was still in his archangel form and hope that no one outside would remember too clearly what they had seen as he transformed back to his human form.

"Sorry," he added sheepishly.

Phoebe smiled in relief and threw herself in his waiting arms.

Paige had jumped at this new surprise yet again.

"Huh?"

Piper turned to her:

"It's a long story…and I get the feeling that we are going to be busy learning about you first…"

Piper finally back from the shock had closed the book and was now pleasantly surprised by what she saw. The three ellipses were back in the center of the circle as they had been before… This thought brought back the unpleasantness, but also another lot of questions:

"When all hell was breaking loose out there, you said that you talked to Prue? When? How?"

Phoebe peeled herself from her husband to turn toward Paige as well, just as curious about the answer as Piper was.

Paige:

"Actually, she has been bugging me for three days so that I would come to you. I guess she finally convinced me…"

Piper:

"Where is she?"

Cole answered for her:

"She was with us only a few moments ago," he hesitated, "as a ghost…"

Piper and Phoebe showed some distress at the confirmation of their sister's death, but they still went on looking at Paige, askance.

Piper:

"I don't understand, we didn't have any other sister. If we did, I think that I would know…"

Paige pinched her lips:

"I'm not the one to give you the answer to that one. All I know is that everybody is telling me that it is true. And if it's for real that only a Halliwell can be part of this power of three of yours, then I guess that this is the proof sine qua non." She had said that indicating the triquetra on the book that Piper was still holding.

At this moment, Coleridge was returning with the baby. But Jason wasn't the only one with him. Prue was there, glowing all over and she was smiling.

"Hey girls, I see that you have met Paige…"

Phoebe and Piper exclaimed at the same time:

"Prue!"

"Sorry that I couldn't come earlier, there was something important that I had to do first, and it would seem that I succeeded?"

Paige looked at her with a little smile:

"I guess so…"

Prue smiled anew, then she turned to her other sisters:  
"I just wanted you to know that it will all be fine now, and that I will look out for you always."

Phoebe:

"Stay!"

Prue:

"I can't, but that's fine, you're whole again now."

Paul stopped her from going right then by calling to her, as he just woke up from the terrible nightmare he had been through these last few days.

She went to him and gently smiled at him:

"You have to let me go, but I'll always be with you too. Please don't regret us, just remember how happy we were. I will…"

He was overwhelmed by her presence there, and what it signified. All he could say then was:

"I will always love you…"

Prue:

"I love you." Then she vanished in a swirl of light.

He sat back down, closing his eyes and kept silent. The girls then turned back to each other, forming a circle around the book now. Looking at each other, they all smiled tentatively, then Phoebe finally said:

"Well, welcome to the family!"


	8. Heaven Can't Wait (Chapter 8)

Heaven Can't Wait **__**

Heaven Can't Wait

Chapter 8

Since it was such a lovely afternoon, she was glad that she could enjoy this little outing all by herself. So many things had happened in the last 2 weeks, and from the beginning, she had found no time to think. Yes it was nice to have found a family, as incredible as the circumstances were. However, used to live alone as she was, the constant presence of the said family was making her dizzy by moment.

She turned her face toward the sun, keeping her eyes closed and just feeling the warmth on her skin. Now she was finally able to put all of this in perspective, remembering the events without the pressure that had come along with them…

Phoebe and Piper had been nothing but supportive, in spite of their grief, and of the successive catastrophes that had hit their family. After they welcomed her, Phoebe had also offered her a place to stay. 

After the three days that she had spent with Prue's ghost, and she still had to pinch herself to make sure that she wasn't dreaming about this too, she had learned some of her family's history. Prue had given her the highlights, just enough for Paige to get an idea of what was to come. It wasn't very reassuring… However, after the first shock, she thought that she had what it took to handle it. After all, hadn't she been dreaming all her life to be someone special? Still, after only a few moments at the Turner's house, she had realized how much more she needed to learn about all of them. She marveled at how easily she had accepted the weirdness of her family. Phoebe, the little energetic brunette, who apparently had just given birth to a magical baby, himself, fathered by a former half-demon, now turned archangel. 

Piper, calmer in a way, but just as energetic on the inside and the obvious pillar of the family, in spite of her apparent lack of confidence. Leo, Piper's husband, whom she had learned in time, was a former whitelighter, just like her own father had been… And now, she was part of this too, although she barely knew her place in that world… As she had feared, Lisbeth had jumped at the chance to get her fired, and frankly, given what she knew now, Paige had not protested too much when the head secretary had announced it to her. Paige could hear the triumphant tone of voice of her former boss, but amazingly it had not affected her as much as she thought. Any other time, she would have told the person off, but all she said was: "so be it!" Then she had simply hung up, probably leaving the woman on her appetite. At least this had been a satisfying thought for Paige… Now though, she found herself out of work and in a whole new life. Fortunately, Phoebe had told her not to worry, that they could help her out… To which, her husband had grimaced with amusement. Obviously some inside joke that she was not privy to yet. It was a little difficult for her to accept this, but in time she saw that they didn't think of this as charity. She fully intended to pay her way sooner than later but for the moment, she had offered to help out with the baby, for which Phoebe was grateful. After the repairs were completed, Piper and Leo had finally been able to return live at the manor. 

Only now, did her sisters thought that it was safe for her to go out by herself, and even then, they had given her a cell phone and a serious warning not to try anything on her own, should she be attacked. Paige didn't think that anything would happen. After all, the last two weeks had been totally uneventful, in spite of her fears that the warlock Gandel would find her… By now, she believed that he had lost her trace and wouldn't be a problem anymore. Her sisters didn't completely agree with this, but she wasn't about to become a prisoner in the house because of a slim possibility…

Almost distractedly, she realized that she was coming out of the park and onto a busy street. She decided that a little window-shopping would amuse her and walked toward the nearest commercial district. The sidewalk was not too crowded that day and it allowed her to continue her musings as she walked along. Phoebe had given her access to her wardrobe, telling her that she could use them for as long as she didn't get back her figures, "if that ever happens," she had added with an amused frown. Still, Paige longed to get her own stuff back, so a week after she started living with them, Cole and his father, the whitelighter, had taken care of everything for her. She had protested that she could go with them, but of course none of them had agreed to have her going there and possibly attracting the attention of the warlock. Cole had seemed amused by her reluctance and correctly guessed that she didn't like the idea of men opening all her drawers and packing her clothes. To reassure her, he had promised to keep his eyes closed while doing so. He had said it so seriously that for a moment she believed that he was. Then he had cracked a smile and she had not been able to resist smiling back… Somehow, she understood how he had charmed her sister right then. This was in spite of her reservations about a former demon living in the same house as hers. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice a man who was standing on the corner and bumped right into him. The shock almost made her fall back, and she managed to regain her balance only because he had reacted by taking her arm. She caught her breath when, about to apologize, she looked up and met his deep green eyes. The man was not very tall although he was at least a head over her. Of course she was so short herself that it didn't take much for that. She barely noticed his features as she found herself drawn to those eyes. It was like looking into a deep ocean always in movement. She thought of herself as a good judge of character, at least until a few weeks ago when she had discovered the mistake she had made about her uncle. Still, she couldn't read anything definite in his stare. The man frowned, breaking the moment as he expressed concern for her well being. It took her a few more seconds before she could answer:

"Oh no, I'm fine. I'm sorry about this, I was distracted…"

Then he smiled and she couldn't believe how much it affected her. She didn't remember having been so attracted to someone ever. So much so, that she chose to stay away, as she was afraid of making a fool of herself.

"Well," she said at last, "I'm sorry again, gotta go!"

She thought that she saw a hint of disappointment in his expression but she continued on her way. She had not walked more than a few feet when she stopped short, now totally panicked. Only about 50 feet from her on the sidewalk she could recognize her uncle. She wasn't sure if he had seen her yet, so she turned around abruptly, almost bumping in the young man again. She intended to find an isolated spot to orb back home. The young man seemed utterly surprised at her reaction and he followed her. Only once in the alley did she realize this. She turned to find him right in front of her, still very concerned.

"Is everything alright?" He asked her, obviously worried.

She thought that her fear must be showing, for him to have picked up on it. However, she was rather irritated, as her sisters had insisted on the importance of secrecy. Now, far from helping her he was putting her at risk, and in an empty alley at that. 

"You have to leave," she said a little more harshly than she had meant. "Nothing is wrong and I don't need your help…"

The young man hesitated some more. He looked sincerely concerned and she felt bad for the way she was treating him, but it couldn't be helped. She stared at him as calmly as she could muster and the man finally turned around shaking his head. He was almost out of the alley when Gandel entered it in turn. The warlock came at him forcefully and pushed him aside as if he was a little child. The young man went flying into the nearest wall, and then the warlock gave his full attention to the witch. Paige was at once afraid for herself, and outraged for the way he had treated the young man. For a moment she was tempted to fight him but then, she remembered how powerful he was and that she only had her orbing powers that she knew of… Instead, she used it to orb right by the young man, taking his arm, and just as Gandel was about to strike, she orbed them both in front of the manor. She didn't lose time, knowing now what could happen, and she entered the house pulling her very confused companion inside. There she found Piper, who immediately recognized the signs of panic on her face. 

"What is it?" she asked anxiously.

"I'm afraid that I was wrong about," she stopped herself looking back at the man; then she continued more covertly, "you know who…"

"Oh!" Replied Piper, not needing any more explanations as they had expected him to show up even sooner than this…

On the other hand, she was a little puzzled by the newcomer's presence:

"Who is that?" She asked with a hint of suspicion.

Paige just then realized that not only had she broken the secrecy that they had made her promise to keep; but she didn't even know who he really was. For all she knew, he might have been one of "them".

The young man was staring at her in total shock. Moreover, he looked very much afraid.

"What? What? Where am I? Who are you people?" He babbled while taking a few steps back now that he had regained some mobility. 

"I'm so sorry," Paige began. 

The young man continued walking backward toward the door:

"Sorry for what? What just happened." His voice was just this close to hysteria and Paige debated whether she should try and keep him inside or simply let him go, hoping that he would not talk about it.

Piper intervened for her:

"What do you think happened?" She asked him calmly.

The man turned to her abruptly:

"I… I don't know…"

Paige caught Piper's drift:

"Oh I'm sorry, it's just that you were attacked downtown, and you refused to be brought to the hospital for a check up, so I offered to bring you here instead. Maybe, you have been hit harder than you thought…"

The man opened wide eyes at this:

"Attacked?" Then he seemed to think back. " Yes, there was that man who attacked me for no reason, but it was only a moment ago…"

Paige tried her best to act innocent:

"Oh now I'm really worried; you don't even remember coming here?"

Piper noticed that the man was about to check his watch, so she froze him on the spot.

"Take his watch and change the time quick…"

Paige understood right away, and she also picked up his wallet to read his name off of it. By the time he unfroze, he could see that at least 40 minutes had past since the last time he looked and his confusion grew.

"Matthew isn't it?" She asked.

"How do you know my name," he questioned back with a hint of suspicion. He was wondering what kind of place he was in right then.

Paige smiled gently:

"You told me on the way here, don't you remember?"

He hesitated a long moment:

"Did you… introduce yourself?"

Paige seemed surprised:

"You know if I wasn't worried about you, I might be insulted that you forgot so soon… It's Paige…"

The man shook his head in disbelief and suddenly felt the need to get away from this place apparently, because he turned toward the door resolutely.

Paige called to him:

"Where are you going?"

He barely looked back, only to tell her:

"Don't worry about me, I just got to go…"

Paige:

"Are you sure, you don't look too good…"

Matthew gave her a puzzled look but still replied by the negative and opened the door quickly. Just as he was about to close it behind him, the chime of the grandfather clock hit twice and he instinctively looked again at his watch, which indicated 2:45… For a moment, he stared back at the manor as if he was going to go back inside, then he shook his head and moved on…

Piper sighed in relief.

"That was close. Too close!"

Paige was still staring at the door, pursing her lips.

Piper noticed her worried look:  
"What is it?"

Paige:

"Do you think that he heard the clock?"

Piper dismissed this quickly:

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure that by now, he is so confused that he won't even try to figure it out. Who would believe him?"

Paige turned to her only half-convinced:

"I suppose…"

Piper insisted:

"Remember what you thought a couple weeks ago after things much more obvious had happened to you?"

Paige smiled a little at the thought:

"Yes of course, it was easier to assume that I was going crazy."

Piper didn't lose time going back to the real problem:

"Now tell me all about the warlock."

Paige:

"Well, I actually thought that he would follow me here…"

Piper:

"Maybe he knows something about us and didn't want to take the risk… From now on and until we took care of him, you shouldn't go out by yourself."

Paige was about to protest but again Piper insisted:

"Hey, we just found you, I don't want to lose you too…"

Paige understood how difficult it must have been for Piper and decided to abide by her wishes, at least for the moment…

Leo came in the foyer at this moment:

"What's up?"

Piper turned to him:

"Paige just met the warlock she told us about…"

Leo was immediately concerned:

"Are you ok?"

Paige smiled:

"Fine don't worry. I came back right away and fortunately he didn't follow…"

Piper didn't tell him about the young man and she was grateful, for it was a little embarrassing to have made that mistake on her first time out. Still, she couldn't very well have let him behind with that monster.

She was about to take leave when Piper offered to accompany her to the Turners'. 

"I think that we better discuss this with Phoebe as well, the vanquishing spell is a power of three one after all."

Paige:

"You know that it's only a minute or two to get there, nothing will happen between here and Phoebe's…"

Piper:

"Don't worry about it, I was just looking for an excuse to spend some time with my sisters. Soon I won't have as much free time," she added looking down at her growing stomach. The new Halliwell baby was well on its way by now, as she was in the fifth month.

Leo:

"Do you mind if I tag along?"

Piper:

"Of course not silly…"

This was another surprising fact about her new sisters. How quick they were at going back to reality in the face of total weirdness. She knew for a fact that it took great strength of character to be able to do this…

On the way there, she stayed silent, wondering if she ever would see things the way they did.

Gandel was observing them from afar. The moment he had blinked in front of the house, he had known instinctively to take a step back and wait. Something about this place told him that it would be risky for him to try and attack now. He had watched the young man leave only after a few minutes in the house, then the 3 people coming out not long after and heading in the direction of another house behind theirs. All the while, he had been thinking about the sensation that persisted of a danger to him. Then a thought started to form in his mind about all this. The witch was not alone, and apparently those sisters she had hinted at in her apartment had found her, or she had found them… Either way, she wasn't alone anymore, which would make things more difficult for him. But no matter, his plan was going well and he fully intended to bring it to completion. Yet, a lingering doubt remained about those sisters. Paige had mentioned two of them and he was reminded of rumors in the underworld about the charmed ones. All over the place, demons and warlock alike had breathed easier supposedly after learning that the famous power of three was broken a few weeks earlier. Then he put it together with the fact that Paige had seen her powers suddenly awakened at about the same time as it happened… "Could it be?" He asked himself.

But then, it would be such sweet spoil. If he was right and Paige had in fact been the wild card, then he was the only one to know about this. And she was so new to the craft that she still was an easy enough target…

The warlock had a special ability, one that many warlocks and demons alike had found of use in the past. He could sense witches even before they were born… He had felt this one right away but then after she was born her powers were bound and he had simply decided to keep an eye on her, just in case. Now years later, he had been rewarded for his patience but only to discover something even more interesting about the witch. "This," he thought gleefully, " could be my way to the inner circle… What wouldn't the source give to know that the power of three wasn't broken after all!" And now he, Gandel, was the one who would break it for good this time.

He knew that he would have to rework his plan to go around the other two, but as he told himself: " I waited twenty-four years for this, what is a little more time, and then it will be a complete victory for me…"


	9. Heaven Can't Wait (Chapter 9)

Heaven can't wait **__**

Heaven can't wait

Chapter 9

Piper, Leo and Paige just entered the house without knocking as Paige had been living there for a few weeks now, but the sounds coming from upstairs told them that they might have considered announcing themselves…

The laughter was definitely of a certain quality, and they all realized that the masters of the house had taken advantage of their alone time to somewhat catch up…

Piper grimaced and turned to Leo:

"Should we?"

Leo smiled, amused:

"I'm sure that Phoebe wouldn't mind considering there is a warlock involved here…"

Piper:

"I'm not so sure," she replied, moving toward the stairs nevertheless.

When she knocked on the bedroom door, the laughs ceased immediately, although it took them a few seconds before they answered. Piper grimaced again, embarrassed. A very irritated Phoebe opened the door as she was just finishing tightening up her bathrobe.

"Yes," she asked rather harshly…

Piper looked back in the bedroom in spite of herself, where Cole had barely had time to put some pants on.

"Huh, we got a situation…" she said quickly.

Phoebe frowned, obviously not too happy:

"You don't say?"

Piper turned back to her:

"Oh come on Phoebe, I wouldn't have… well if I didn't have a good reason…"

Phoebe looked back in turn and seeing the same as Piper, she took her arm and pulled her toward the stairs:

"Ok," she added emphatically, "what is the matter?"

"It's Paige… The warlock that was after her a couple weeks ago is back…"

Phoebe exclaimed, looking around as if she thought that he was going to appear right this minute.

"Where?"

"We don't know exactly… She saw him when she was out, but he didn't follow her home fortunately."

Cole had heard, and intervened:

"Are you sure?"

Piper continued for both of them:

"Well no, not really, but we didn't see him. So if he is around, he's hiding well…"

Cole:

"I think that I should check it out anyway."

He was about to flash out when Phoebe called to him:

"Hey sweetie, maybe you should put something on first?"

He looked down in embarrassment:

"Oh right…"

Piper smiled teasingly:

"Not on my account," she said looking up and down, to which Phoebe reacted by hitting her lightly on the shoulder.

"Hey!" She said but couldn't help smiling too.

For an instant Cole looked at both of them as if he was wondering if he should turn his back on them, then he smiled too and went to the bedroom.

Phoebe lingered a moment more and Piper had to call to her again:

"Come on sis, you're married now, he will still be here tonight."

Phoebe turned to follow her but added with still a little point of irritation:

"It's not every day that we are alone in the house you know, and today was going to be the first since…"

Piper:

"You mean since you…"

Phoebe:

"Yeah! I guess it will have to wait…"

Piper suddenly remembered to ask:

"Where is Jason?"

Phoebe:

"Paul came around a little while ago and offered to bring the baby on a long walk."

Piper:

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry now, you happy?"

Phoebe:

"Not quite happy, but with a little luck…soon."

Piper laughed a little but by then, they were coming in the living room and dropped the subject.

Paige seemed lost in thoughts and Phoebe wondered about it:

"Hey, still worried about the warlock?"

Actually Paige had been thinking of the young man, Matthew, and she almost blushed when she realized that her sister noticed her vague expression. She babbled:

"Huh, yes that's it…"

Phoebe looked at her curiously but couldn't figure what seemed to be the reason for her embarrassment. She promised herself to question her further once they had resolved the problem at hand. Hardly enough, she wasn't very worried about the new threat. They had faced such terrible demons in the last 2 years that a warlock really seemed insignificant at the moment. She almost laughed at the thought, considering that in their first few years as witches, warlocks had been a serious threat. Yet, it was too easy to dismiss any of them as not dangerous, and she was decided to give it as much consideration as she did any other evil agent. There was also the fact that all of this was so new to her half-sister and that she still only had the whitelighter power to rely on. "Maybe," she thought, " this new situation will unlock her witch powers as well?"

The fact that she had not developed a power as of yet was a subject of worries for both Phoebe and Piper, who were convinced that in spite of the absence of attacks that they enjoyed now, demons were bound to come knocking any time…

Neither of them wanted to push her too hard though, as they knew how difficult it already was for her to adapt to her new life.

"So," she began out loud, "what happened exactly?"

Paige tried to concentrate on the problem:

"Well not all that much actually, except…"

She looked at Leo who didn't know yet of her little mistake.

Phoebe insisted when she saw her hesitation.

"Except?"

Leo somehow sensed that she wanted to talk to her sisters alone and found a pretext to go out of the room. He would know soon enough what had happened…

Cole had been looking around and seen nothing, so he went to find Paul. Now that their little afternoon had been cut short, he knew that he would feel better if the baby was home…

He found him on his way back to the house, and asked him if he had seen anything out of the ordinary as he checked on Jason.

"Not really…Any particular reason why you asked?"

Cole:

"Oh well, you know the warlock that was after Paige?"

Paul strained to remember:

"Gandel wasn't it? So what about him?"

Cole:

"Paige just saw him in town this afternoon… I'm guessing that he will stay away for now. Eventually though, I think that they should go after him and end this threat. Besides if he found her, maybe he also knows about Phoebe and Piper…"

Paul:

"That wouldn't do if he reported to an upper demon about it."

"My point exactly. The girls are not ready for more attacks yet. Paige is still too new at it. If we could keep the secret a little longer, it would be a great help. As long as the source thinks that the charmed ones are no longer a threat, he won't be as hell-bent on destroying the two who are left. Or at least that is what I'm hoping."

Paul acquiesced:

"I have to agree with that… Then maybe we should go after him ourselves…"

Cole seemed to hesitate at this:

"Maybe…"

Paul:

"What?"

"Well Phoebe thinks that Paige might need a little initiation to fire so to speak, and it might just be the right one to do this. From what I have heard of this warlock, he has his use to the underworld, but he is mostly more ambitious than truly powerful…"

Paul frowned and replied as they were walking back:

"Still, he might have gotten some help… There are no guaranties that he is working alone…"

Cole:

"He always wanted to climb in the ranks… A partner might not be a good idea for him…"

Paul:

"Still, would you know where to find him?"

Cole:

"No clue; I have been out of the loop for quite some time…"

Paul suddenly seemed to remember something:

"Speaking of quite some time… I kind of thought that you would be busy for the rest of the afternoon…"

The amused smile made Cole squirm, but he still answered:

"Let's just say that the quiet time didn't last long enough and leave it at that…"

Paul almost laughed, but resisted:

"I see… Well any time that you need a little supernatural babysitting… I rather enjoyed this time with your boy."

Cole couldn't help bringing up the subject:

"Well then I'm glad that I didn't have to…"

Paul:

"Kill me? Don't worry, I don't hold it against you. After all I asked for it…"

Cole gave him a twisted grin before answering:

"Too true!"

Phoebe was watching Paige after she finished relating her part of the story, and she couldn't help smiling:

"So," she said, turning to Piper, "I'm not the only one who can screw up…"

Piper grimaced at her sister:

"Oh come on Phoebe, she is miserable enough as it is…"

Paige:

"You know that I'm really sorry about that, but what else could I do?"

Phoebe:

"All jokes aside, nothing really. Don't worry, from what you told me, you and Piper have covered your tracks nicely, and I'm sure also that he won't dare tell anyone about this…"

As she was saying this, she couldn't help noticing that the vague expression had returned on her sister's face, and she began to understand that Matthew might very well be the cause of it.

"So what did he look like?" she asked lightly.

Again, Paige was pulled out of her distracting thoughts and seemed lost as to what Phoebe had meant.  
"The man, the young man you brought home?"

Paige:

"Oh him… well he looked…fine…"

Phoebe:

"Ha, ha!"

Paige protested at the obvious allusion:

"No really, I barely noticed…"

Phoebe bent toward her and put her hand on her shoulder, intent on reassuring her, when two successive premonitions hit her:

"The first one showed a little boy being torn from his mother and magically moved by one that blinked to an alley. The second one, was of Cole's father, attacked by a darklighter, or at least she assumed that he was, not being able to see him as she was, but she did see the arrow entering her father in law distinctly."

She jumped as she was coming out of the vision, distressed to the extreme by what she had seen. 

Piper:

"Phoebe what's wrong?" 

Phoebe took a few deep breaths, then she turned to her:

"I think that we got work to do. When it rains, it pours…"

Paige:

"What do you mean?"

Phoebe:

"I just got two premonitions for the price of one, and I have the feeling that both of them will happen at about the same time…"

She didn't lose time organizing them:

"You and Paige," she told Piper, "should go to this alley," which she described. "A young boy has been or will be abducted by a warlock, I have no idea why, so don't ask…"

Piper saw that the other premonition was more personal:

"What else did you see?"

Phoebe:

"Cole's father, being attacked not far from here…"

She got up quickly, intent on finding Cole right away, while Piper turned to Paige:

"Let's go…"

Paige was overwhelmed not only by the rapidity at which things had changed, but also by the way her sisters were dealing with it. 

Piper told her more insistently:

"Paige come on…"

The girl just thought then that it was best to go with the flow; she'd figure them out soon enough, or so she hoped.

Cole had his hand on the doorknob, when the door opened and he found himself in front of his wife, her expression extremely tense. At first he joked:

"Hey, I wasn't gone that long, don't get upset…"

However, his smile was short live as he saw that she was not responding to his humor.

"Come on," she said instead, "we got to go now!"

Cole was taken aback and didn't move at first as she was already going down the driveway:

"Where?"

Phoebe turned impatiently toward him:

"I'll tell you on the way; Paul, can you watch Jason a little longer," she finally thought to ask the wizard, who was just as surprised as Cole.

"Of course…"

Cole looked back at him, shrugging, and then started after her, just as Piper and Paige were running out of the house in turn with Leo in tow. They took the direction of the manor without a word. Watching all this agitation gave Paul a bad feeling.

Piper and Paige had elected to drive to the alley, as Paige's control over her orbing was still very shaky. They climbed into the truck without exchanging a word, both of them just as tense as Phoebe had been. Paige mostly was anxious about what was to come. It was the first time that she truly had to protect an innocent, and they didn't benefit from the power of three to do so…

Not knowing what the boy looked like, or when the abduction would actually take place, Piper had chosen the alley, giving them a better chance to catch the warlock when he arrived.

Piper had worries of her own. She liked Paige well enough, as far as she knew her, but it still wasn't Prue. She wasn't all too sure that her new sister was up to the task. And yet, she knew that the only way for them to know for sure was to have her helping. She still would have been more comfortable as well if Phoebe had been with them… For a moment, she considered going back to find her. After all, Cole probably could have taken care of the other problem on his own. She dismissed it quickly though; time was of the essence, and at least Leo was there to help. She speeded up, for fear of being too late for whatever the warlock or demon had in mind for the poor boy…

Coleridge was just coming back from visiting one of his charges and for once, intent on taking advantage of the sunny afternoon, he was walking to his son's house. The thought immediately brought a smile to his lips. Who would have imagined only a year before that something like that would happen? His son, lost for over a hundred years to evil, was now living with his wife and their beautiful baby boy. Of course, it couldn't yet be considered as a "normal" life per say, but still it was much more than he had hoped for. Suddenly his train of thought was interrupted by a malaise, one that was unfortunately very familiar and unpleasant. He could feel a darklighter in close proximity. He was just about to orb, when the arrow hit him in the back. He never saw his attacker before falling to the ground in excruciating pain. He tried to turn toward him but the pain paralyzed him. He could still feel him, but somehow the darklighter seemed only to be observing from afar. It puzzled Coleridge, who had expected him to come finish the job…

Cole was now ahead of Phoebe. After she filled him in breathlessly on what she had seen, he had almost left her behind but she assured him that his father was only 5 minutes away. At that moment, an intense pain stopped him short, and Phoebe almost knocked him to the ground, as she bumped into him.

"What?" She asked anxiously when she noticed his contorted face.

He closed his eyes trying to catch his breath and turned to her painfully:

"I don't know, it's like fire coursing through my veins…"

A thought struck both of them at the same time and, forgetting the pain he started back, running even faster…


	10. Heaven Can't Wait ( Chapter 10)

Heaven Can't Wait **__**

Heaven Can't Wait

Chapter 10

****

Cole spotted his father and ran to him, in a panic. This one saw him coming and lifted a hand in warning. Even in his agony, he thought of the danger to his son. The arrow was still poisonous and he didn't want Cole to be hurt as well. Cole still bent toward him, but didn't touch him as he thought of the same thing. His face contorted as he tried to figure out how to help his father and he forgot about the possible threat from the darklighter.

This one, still hiding in the shadow, put his bow back up, preparing to fire at the newcomer… 

The arrow flew toward Cole and only Phoebe's warning prevented him from being hurt as he hit the deck just in time. The Darklighter, apparently finding the place too crowded at this point, vanished in a cloud of black orbs.

**The tires screeched when Piper stopped abruptly at the alley's entry. She didn't lose time and got out of the truck in a hurry, barely taking the time to verify that her sister and Leo were following, she started running toward the alley. There she found that the warlock had already arrived and was about to strike the boy with a ritual knife. As if he had known that she was coming, he turned toward her right away and looked directly at her. His expression, contrary to what Piper would have expected, was not of surprise but she thought that she saw satisfaction in it. He immediately turned the knife toward her and threw it. She barely had time to freeze it before it hit her. Paige came behind her and gasped, recognizing Gandel at once. She exclaimed:**

"Bob!" As it was the most natural thing that came to her mind…

This distracted Piper, and she took too long before trying to freeze the warlock. He used this time to let go of the boy and blink right by her, picking up the knife still frozen in mid air and putting it to her throat. Leo tried to lunge at them but the warlock pushed the knife into her skin, stopping Leo in his track. Paige was very scared but the idea of her sister in danger galvanized her somehow. An intense rage mounted in her:

"Let her go, it's not her that you want…"

Gandel turned a mocking stare toward her:

"How arrogant of you. I'll take care of you soon enough…"

Then he moved the knife quickly, ready to strike Piper.

Paige followed her instinct at this point, and started running toward them. Gandel saw the threat immediately and turned the knife toward her, but this time a fireball came out of the dagger and flew in Paige direction. This one lifted her hands in defense, and a wall of energy seemed to form in front of her, deflecting back the fireball toward the warlock. This one was hit on the shoulder, just enough to hurt him but not quite enough to vanquish. He wailed in pain and rage, and just before blinking out, he retaliated by knifing Piper in the stomach. Piper fell slowly to the ground, her eyes round with surprise.

Paige and Leo exclaimed at the same time:

"NO!" As they were now rushing to her side…

The darklighter had orbed in the alley as well just before the last part of the attack, still hiding in the shadows. He stayed only long enough to see Piper falling, then he orbed out again.

Cole didn't lose time, and as soon as the arrow had passed him he got back up, looking around to try and find the darklighter. However, even as Phoebe came by his side, neither one of them could find a trace of him around, so they got back to Coleridge. 

Making sure that no one was watching them, Cole then turned to Phoebe:

"Let's get him home, we'll figure it out there," he told her. She simply acquiesced nervously and he took a hold of her arm as well as Coleridge's. Then, he flashed them both home…

Leo put his hand on Piper's wound trying his best to stop the bleeding as he looked into her frightened eyes. She was breathing shallow and still barely believed that she had been hit. Leo turned his head heaven wise and pleaded with the Elders for help…

When they were home, Cole looked down at his father and realized that he had to act fast as this one was fading away rapidly. He knew that he had to think of something or it would be too late. In desperation, he thought of a radical solution to get rid of the arrow.

"Father, it will hurt really bad, brace yourself."

Coleridge had barely enough strength left to look up questioningly, but it didn't take long for him to understand as Cole extended his hand toward the arrow and set it magically on fire. The arrow disintegrated, scorching Coleridge skin badly, and this one, as well as Cole who felt it, couldn't help a scream. Coleridge thankfully lost consciousness, and after taking a few deep breaths, fighting through the pain, Cole put his hands over his father's wound and managed to heal him. Phoebe could see how much it had taken out of him as he fell back against the couch, apparently exhausted.

Leo turned to Paige who was still stuck in place by the shock of what happened not only to her, but also to Piper. He almost angrily told her:

"Go for help now, you have to find Cole…"

He turned back to Piper, leaving Paige just as confused as to where she should start looking. She had just about decided to go back to the house just in case, when she noticed that Leo's hands were glowing.

She exclaimed:

"Leo, look!"

At this moment, Leo realized it as well and with a deep sigh of relief, he understood that the Elders had heard his plea and given him back his powers. It was very close, as Piper had almost been gone by then. As soon as the wound was healed, she looked down on herself, then toward Leo in amazement. Then horror seemed to wash over her face:

"The baby!"

Leo immediately reassured her about it as he took her in his arms and almost crushed her in relief.

"He will be fine and so will you, thanks to the Elders…"

Piper:

"Well I'm glad that they saw the light…"

She then turned to Paige remembering what happened:

"Hey, I think that we finally found out what your power is…"

Paige was still unsure about the whole thing, it had all happened so fast.

"Huh?"

Piper:

"It's deflection, a very useful power indeed."

When she finally saw that everyone was fine, and had a moment to think back, she started smiling.

The warlock had blinked in another remote area and looked at his wound with eyes still filled with rage. He didn't notice a shadow appearing not far from him and jumped when he heard the voice.

"What the hell were you thinking?"

After a moment, the warlock answered to the unseen interlocutor:

"I was trying to save myself…"

"And doing so, you almost destroyed our plan…"

Gandel replied with irritation:

"She was attacking me…"

"Yes and stupidly you tried to kill her…"

Gandel chose not to respond to this, instead he continued:

"At least, I got the right one!"

"Yes," the voice continued still very irritated, "but that was dumb luck on your part. I don't think that I can work with you anymore," he added somewhat threateningly.

Gandel was still too weak to use his powers or, sensing the danger, he would have tried to at this point:

"I am the one who came to you with this remember?"

"And I am the one who figured out how to make it work… You were going into this blindly, without having realized that powerful witches protected her. One more failing on your part… I will have to find myself a better partner…"

Gandel opened frightened eyes now as he didn't even have enough left to blink out, and he barely had time to realize what was happening before the darklighter approached him from behind and applied a burning hand to his back, just before disappearing again in a cloud of orbs. The warlock felt the burning sensation throughout his body and burst into flames shortly after.

The darklighter's shadow returned to the alley to see the result of his brilliant plan. He had to repress a grunt of frustration though when at once, he saw that the witch was very much alive and almost ready to leave the alley, and that now a whitelighter was present… 

Leo felt him right away and turned his head toward a darkened corner, but almost as soon as he had felt his presence the darklighter disappeared. It had been so quick that Leo wondered if it wasn't his newly returned powers that were somehow misfiring and he shrugged it off. The three of them left the alley, picking up the poor little boy, still unconscious. It had not taken long for them to see that he wasn't hurt but only had passed out from fright. They went out of the alley, grateful that the terrible drama that almost cost Piper her life was behind them…

Back at the Turner's house, Cole was recuperating from the efforts he had made to save his father, while this one was slowly awakening only to feel the pain of one of his charges. He was about to orb out without warning when the pain suddenly stopped. This puzzled him, but he assumed that the poison had confused his senses. He then turned grateful eyes toward his son:  
"Well son, your healing was somewhat rough but efficient…"

Cole lifted a corner of his mouth in a half smile before replying:

"Well I didn't quite know what else to do right then…"

Coleridge smiled as well:

"That's fine, it worked and that's all that matters…"

Paul had been upstairs taking care of the baby but the screams of pain had alerted him and now he was observing the three of them, relieved that nothing irreversible had happened. Feeling rather domestic at the moment, he offered a round of tea, which they accepted gratefully. Meanwhile, Phoebe went upstairs to check on the baby again. As she told him, it wasn't that she didn't trust him to take care of Jason but…

Paul laughed before going toward the kitchen.

Coleridge still had a question for Cole:

"How did you know?"

Cole:

"Well for one, Phoebe had a premonition and second, I felt it. It was none too pleasant by the way…"

Coleridge was amazed:  
"You did?"

"I guess that we are more connected than we thought…"

Coleridge and him just smiled at each other, happy that indeed they had connected. In more ways than one… 

Cole continued after a moment:

"Do you know why he came after you?"

Coleridge:

"Well, beside the fact that Darklighters are always trying to get rid of us, I really don't know that there was any specific reason."

Cole accepted this explanation:

"Well then, glad that I could save you…"

Coleridge:

"No more than me…"

The boy woke up as they were driving and opened still very frightened eyes to see strangers surrounding him. Paige noticing this, turned to him and smiled reassuringly:

"Everything is alright, we are bringing you back to your mother…"

The boy asked in a little voice:

"Where is the bad man?"

Paige sighed:

"He is gone, he won't hurt you anymore." This, she really hoped was the truth.

She turned to Piper for approval, and this one smiled confidently.

As soon as they had given back the boy to his weeping mother, they headed home, impatient to know if Cole and Phoebe had succeeded as well. Piper also wanted to compare notes with Phoebe, as she thought that the whole thing had been mighty bizarre and suspicious…

When they got home, it was already late in the afternoon of a very long day indeed. They went straight to the Turner's to find that they were all sitting calmly in their living room as if nothing had happened. It made Piper wonder if indeed there had really been an emergency.

"So," she asked Phoebe, who expressed relief at seeing them back, "what was the deal?"

Phoebe gave her the short version of their afternoon and Piper opened wide eyes, but never as much as Phoebe when Piper told her of theirs…

She turned to Paige and Leo with a large smile:

"Now I would say that it was a full day… And thank god for that," she added hugging Piper even as she talked.

Piper couldn't help but feel ill at ease with the two stories though. Again she was reminded of how bizarre everything felt and she mentioned it around as Phoebe went back to her seat and began nursing Jason.

"Don't you think that it is really weird that those things happened at the same time and what's more, the warlock didn't even seem surprised to see me there…"

Phoebe:

"Are you sure that you didn't read him wrong? After all, what connection could there be between a darklighter attacking Cole's father and a warlock kidnapping a kid? Do we even know yet why he did it?"

Piper:

"I haven't got a clue, there was nothing in the book about any kind of ritual practiced by this particular warlock…"

Leo intervened:

"Speaking of darklighter… I didn't think much of it at the time, but I think that I felt one in the alley, only for a moment."

Piper turned to him curiously:

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Leo:

"At the time, I thought that I was mistaken. However since you are talking about it, maybe there really was a connection between the two events…"

Cole:

"What would have been their purpose?"

Piper:

"I don't know, maybe to divide us…"

Phoebe:

"But how would they have known about the premonitions?"

No one had an answer for that one…

The darklighter was now thinking back to what happened, wondering where he had erred. By now, he had figured that at least one of them would be out of the picture. The problem seemed more complex than he had imagined but he wasn't about to give up. The double prize that awaited him was well worth his efforts. For one there was Paige… No other like her had ever been born yet. She had been the reason why he had accepted to work with the warlock in the first place. And then, there were the charmed ones, he was now absolutely sure that they were the ones, even if he had doubted the warlock at first. He now believed that maybe he had been too hasty in his planning. It had been easy to give the witch those premonitions. A little suggestion and her gift had done the rest. 

However, he had to admit now that, what he had thought a full proof plan had been thwarted. Now alone, he had a lot to do before he could get what he truly wanted. He was convinced that he had been right to get rid of the warlock. He had almost destroyed the very reason why the darklighter was ready to do anything to succeed…

Now, he would have to find someone else with the same ambition but with more powers and smarts. No matter, he was patient…

Cole:

"You know what, speculations are nice but at this point I really think that we should try to find this warlock and maybe even the darklighter. Then, we should finish this threat once and for all…"

Phoebe:

"How?"

He smiled:

"I really think that my father, Paul and me could manage that. You had an eventful enough day…"

Piper protested mildly:

"It's our job to do this and well, I thought that you were now in the business of protection…"

Cole:

"Let's just say that it's the same thing here. I didn't want to alarm you with this but, what if now that they have failed, they go to the source or an upper demon, which would have the same result? I am quite sure that the Source doesn't know about Paige yet, since no one has come beside that warlock. However, if they go to him, the attacks are going to start again, maybe even more vicious than before. I think that you all need more time before facing this…"

Piper agreed reluctantly, and even more so because Coleridge and Paul approved of Cole's analysis of the situation.

Leo insisted on accompanying them and they left the girls behind to ponder what Cole had said about the Source.

Phoebe bit her lips pensively while putting the baby, now asleep, back in his cradle:

"Do you really think that it could get any worse than it has been?"

She asked her still troubled sister.

They had already lost Prue in the last battle with the Source and today, they had been caught unprepared. This had almost cost her life. But deep down, she had never truly believed that they were ready in the first place. More often than none in the last 4 years, they had improvised. Once again she was reminded of how difficult it would be without Prue.

To her sister she simply answered:

"I really don't know. I just think that, as usual we'll make do as they come."

Phoebe smiled weakly and nodded in acquiescence. 

Paige couldn't help but feel guilty for what happened that afternoon. True, she had found that she also had a witch power, but she had not been good enough to prevent Piper from getting hurt, and she knew in her heart that she was the one they were afraid couldn't cut it.

"I'm sorry for today," she said to Piper, "I wasn't ready for what happened…"

Piper turned to her half sister in surprise:

"No! It's fine; you did good! Believe me, when we found out about all this crap, we weren't prepared either. I would say that in the circumstances, you did really well indeed. It wasn't your fault."

Paige was grateful for Piper's encouragement, but she still felt that she could have done more, reacted faster. She promised herself to do it right next time. Hopefully with better results…

Paul, using his wizards' spell, had found the magic trace that the warlock had left behind, and they were now surrounding a pile of dust that they all assumed must have been the warlock's remains…  
"I guess that Paige got him better than we thought," Leo uttered.

Cole:

"Are you sure it's him?"

He was asking Paul, who was still trying to see if there was no other trace of movements by the warlock.

"Positive," he finally answered. "The warlock ended up here and I would bet almost anything that it's him," he added, indicating the dusty remains. The only thing is, if he was hit that bad, how did he manage to blink? And not just once… From the way we had to go to get here, he must have traveled for a while before stopping, no doubts to make sure that he couldn't be traced…Obviously he didn't know about me," he added with a contented smile.

Leo then questioned:

"So if it wasn't Paige, then who?"

Cole:

"I would say, he had a fallout with his partner…"

Coleridge:

"So now, we subscribe to the partner theory?"

Paul:

"I would say that it is the most likely explanation. Can you feel any darklighter's presence around here."

Coleridge:

"Certainly not at the moment. And if he has been here, he covered his tracks better than this warlock."

Paul:

"I would say so too, as I cannot feel him either. If he is a darklighter, then he must be an older one with more powers and experience. Only the most powerful of them could hide their orbings so well."

Leo:

"So what do we do?"

Coleridge:

"I don't think that there is much that we can do. Besides, I doubt that he will come back. Not now that he may have guessed that he was facing the charmed ones. And really, an association between a darklighter and a warlock is practically unheard of. I doubt if it will happen again. Moreover, it is also doubtful that he would go to the source about this, not really the darklighter' style…"

Leo approved.

Cole:

"So we go home then, I think that the girls will be relieved by this news."

At home, Phoebe was still troubled by the warlocks' action.

"Paige would you mind taking care of Jason for a while? I think that I will go have another look in the book. At least if they don't find him, maybe we'll be better prepared the next time he shows up…"

Piper:

"Good idea, you were always luckier with this book than any of us…"

Paige:

"Of course, go. Jason and me will be just fine here."

Phoebe smiled sweetly:

"I'm so happy that we found you."

That brought a bright smile to Paige's lips. In spite of all the resistance that she had put before coming to them, and of the danger that they had already faced together, Paige was already falling in love with her new family. Even if she had thought that it would be difficult to get used to her new sisters, it was getting easier every day. They were such great people and she found herself proud of being one of them now.

Phoebe had been looking through the book only for a few minutes when Cole's arrival startled her. He came to her smiling and she guessed that the news was good.

"You don't have to worry about this warlock anymore. He's dead!"

Phoebe:

"Did you…"

Cole:

"Nope, hardly enough he was already dead when we found what is left of him."

"How convenient," Phoebe replied with a little point of cynicism. 

Cole started toward her purposefully, and she suddenly knew that the warlock was the last thing on his mind…  
"You know, I never noticed how sexy those glasses looked on you…"

He took the book and closed it casually. Phoebe smiled a bit teasingly:

"At this point, I would have rolls in my hair and you would find it sexy as well."

Cole laughed at that:

"You might be right about this," he said pulling her toward him. 

"Paige is taking care of the baby and the others are all coming back here… Our room seems mighty appealing just now…"

He kissed her passionately, then she replied in a whisper:

"What are we waiting for?"

They flashed out of the attic right then…

For the next few days, the darklighter only observed the manor and the other house from afar, planning his new attacks with more care. He had already a few prospects to help him lined up, but right now, all of his ideas had seemed risky. He felt that he needed more time to accomplish his goal. Still, he couldn't help wanting to see her, watch her every move. She was the one, and she was pretty, even really attractive, which didn't hurt one bit. He could already savor his sweet victory over her. How he would make her is, and so doing, gain not only notoriety with his own kind, but the respect from upper demons for breaking the power of three, for good…

Paige was getting more restless every day. She would have thought by now that the young man would only be a pleasant memory. At least, the first moment that she saw him that is. However, every day she thought of him more, and of how much she wanted to see him again. Finally, she found herself in front of the apartment building where he lived. She had also read the address from his identification papers the day she met him. At the time, she had had no intention of seeing him again, or so she had tried very hard to convince herself… Now standing hesitantly in front of the door to the building, she was again wondering what she would say to him. He probably was very upset with her, even if he most certainly didn't know what really happened. Still, she had figured that she might use her concern for his well being as an excuse. Right now though, it sounded pretty lame to her, and she believed that he probably would read in her face the true motive for her visit. Five minutes later, she was no closer to making a decision, when the young man made it for her…

He opened the door and exclaimed in surprise at finding her there:

"Paige!"

She couldn't help smiling at the realization that he remembered her name even now.

However, she still didn't have the nerve to talk to him, as he continued observing her curiously:

"Were you coming to see me?"

Paige babbled:

"Huh well, I…"

She felt so stupid at this point that she wanted to turn around and run away, but then he smiled and she forgot her malaise altogether:

"I was worried about you…"

"Oh! You don't have to worry, it's only a bad memory now…"

Paige was a little disappointed that the conversation seemed already over:

"Well then, I suppose that it's fine. Just wanted to be sure…"

She was already taking her leave of him, albeit reluctantly, when he called her back:

"Are you in such a hurry?"

Paige turned back with a renewed smile:

"Not really…"

"Care for some lunch? I was just on my way to the deli."

Paige felt the pleasant little butterflies forming in her stomach:

"I'd love that…"


End file.
